The Family of Eight
by annequinox
Summary: It was just another normal day in the Fernandes' household. Unless you count having six crazy children normal, then you're in for one heck of a ride!
1. The Family of Eight

**The Family of Eight**

**WARNING:** This chapter was not beta read; I merely proofread this.

**DISCLAIMER:** _I do not own Fairy Tail, Hiro Mashima does._

* * *

It was just another normal day in the Fernandes' household, and the family was currently busy within their own activities while they waited patiently for lunch to be served. "Meiko! Reina! Stop your bickering!" Lucy yelled from the kitchen as she cooked their meal. She sighed and rubbed her temples. Her children were far too energetic!

The twelve-year-old boy huffed, crossing his arms over his chest. "It wasn't my fault she was screaming like a banshee!"

His twin, Reina, scoffed. "I wasn't screaming! It's called singing, dufus!"

"Oh, you were singing?" Meiko asked, blinking. "I thought you were doing a ritual to call demons."

"Why you, you, you—at least I don't eat noodles like I'm inhaling them!"

"Hey! I find that rather offensive, just so you know!"

"And you saying I sing like a screaming banshee not offensive?"

"It was the truth."

"Why I ought to—"

"Bite me!"

Reina grinned wickedly. "Oh, I will!" And she tackled the bluenette who gasped and clawed at her skin. She screeched and pulled his hair. "You fight like a cat! Ew!"

"No, I don't!" he protested. "At least my voice doesn't sound like nails scraping against a board!"

"My voice is melodious!"

"The day that happens is the day when hell freezes over!"

"You better wear a jacket when you go then!" With one more grunt, they fell off the couch and rolled on the floor, continuing their little fight. From the kitchen, Lucy's eyebrow twitched in irritation. She started to wonder whether her kids got their traits from their father. She snickered. That was quite the sight.

"Mom! Reina and Meiko are fighting again!" Layla, her sixteen-year-old daughter, shouted from her room.

Lucy groaned. "I am aware of that! They've been at it for hours!"

"You should hand them over to the asylum in the countryside!" Layla suggested and guffawed. Their mother twitched once more, sensing another vein popping on her forehead.

At least she had one sane kid…

"Don't bully them," Her eighteen-year-old son, Jude, said.

Lucy released a sigh of relief. Jude was her only son who wasn't chaotic and insane. Well, Kaiya wasn't like that, but she was spoiled by her father and Gerald was—

"Get out of my room, Meiko-nii!"

The said boy patted his younger brother's blue head. "Aww, don't be like that otouto!"

"You should just hand over your head to Reina-nee so she'll shut up," Gerald said, giving Meiko one last glare. "If you intrude one more time, I will hand you over to her myself!" And with that, he slammed the door in front of the bluenette's face.

Meiko's jaw dropped. "How could you do that to your brother?!"

"I refuse to accept the fact that I am related to an idiot."

He gasped. "I'm offended!"

"Sure you are! Now go leave me in peace!"

Meiko sulked and started to walk towards the kitchen, when Reina suddenly jumped out of nowhere and grasped his shoulder. He jumped as she laughed victoriously. "I finally caught you!"

"Oh, shit!"

Lucy whipped her head towards the door heading to the living room. "No cursing!"

"I'm sorry mom—AHHHH! Get away from me!"

The mother shook her head and started to wash the dishes. If she had time, she would've hit them all with a pan just to shut them up. Oh well, that was her husband's job, not hers. She shrugged and started humming.

She heard a yawn and her ears perked, turning to face her seven-year-old daughter, Kaiya. She rubbed her eyes sleepily and Lucy smiled, literally squealing over her messy blonde hair. "Mommy, why are they so noisy?" She asked, releasing another yawn.

"Your siblings are just having a game," Lucy lied, her smile widening. Kaiya may be an innocent child, but with enough exposure to her children's crazy antics, she could turn into one of them!

The girl propped herself on a stool by the counter and placed her chin on the surface. "But they always play that game without me," she murmured, puffing her cheeks.

Lucy laughed nervously. "It's too dangerous, dear."

"Fine," Kaiya said and hid her face in her arms, falling asleep once again. Her mother released the breath she held and wiped the sweat on her forehead. She didn't know how much more she could take before she exploded.

Just as she placed the last plate on the dish rack, Jude walked in the kitchen, blinking. He smiled softly and pulled out a seat for their mother. "You look tired," he commented and ushered her to sit down. He massaged her head and she sighed in relief. He chuckled. "I assume father will be lectured for leaving you alone to deal with us…?"

"Oh, he will not just be lectured," Lucy grunted, "he will deal with them for a week! I am going to go away on a vacation."

"Do as you wish, mother," Jude said and resumed his actions.

The woman started thanking the heavens that she was at least gifted with a normal child, one who didn't go around destroying towns when going on missions. She winced when she recalled Meiko and Reina abolishing Oshibana.

"Is mother going through her daily headaches again?" Layla asked, striding in the room and sitting down a stool next to Kaiya. At Jude's nod, she grinned. "Father will be in for a very long scolding then!"

"He's a man," Jude said, shrugging. "He'll be fine."

Lucy sighed. "He should act like one then."

Her second eldest child snickered, trying to hold in her laughter. "I bet father's just crazy! I mean, it's been such a long time since you two bedded, no?"

Lucy and Jude turned bright red. "Y-You! Don't be so shameless about it!"

"Oh, but it's alright," the other woman said, giggling. "The more the merrier, right?"

The Celestial Mage drifted into a world with eight children and paled. Her son stared at her and chuckled softly, shaking his head. "Looks like father will have to hold himself back. Mother doesn't seem pleased with the idea of more devils like Meiko and Reina."

"They were rolling on the floor the last time I saw them," Layla said, batting her eyelashes.

Jude rolled his eyes. "The last time I saw them, Reina was biting his arm."

"Ouch."

Lucy groaned out loud and the eighteen-year-old jumped, resuming his massage. "If it would make you feel better, I saw Reina giving Meiko a gift."

She smiled.

"Oh, you mean that big green box? Apparently she filled it with cockroaches. Meiko flipped out and is chasing her around the house right now," Layla said, and Lucy nearly pulled her hair as the said children's voices drifted in the room.

"I'll have snakes slithering in your bed tonight!"

"Oh yea? I'll fill your pillows with roaches then!"

"You should thank me. Snakes happen to be very fond of banshees!"

"I am not a banshee!"

"You scream like one!"

"No, I don't! And snakes aren't fond of them! I bet they'd hiss and bite them!"

"Good then. I was expecting that."

"How dare you treat your oneesan like this?!"

"You started it! If you sang more quietly and spared my eardrums, then maybe I wouldn't have started calling you a banshee!"

Kaiya, who was actually awake the whole time, leaned over to whisper in Layla's ear. "I agree with nii-san."

The older blonde snickered. "Reina does happen to sing like a banshee. Oh well, better not tell her or we'll anger her more."

"Good idea."

"—you rotten cabbage!"

"Phantom dweller!"

"Noodle inhaler!"

"Screeching dimwit!"

"Tattoo freak!"

"Hey!" Kaiya and Layla protested at the same time, both wrinkling their noses as they both had their father's tattoo.

"Ha! You're just jealous your cheek is bare!"

"As if, blue-headed lunatic!"

"Well then I suppose you're one as well! We are twins, right?"

"You, you—ARGHHH! I will castrate you!"

"Ooohh, I'm shaking in my boots! What? Are you going to scream like a banshee and shatter my ears after you remove my genitals? I'd rather take that trip to hell when it freezes over then!"

Lucy raised her arms in surrender. "I give up."

Jude laughed. "Father will be in big trouble."

"You bet."

Layla growled, still not over Reina's insult. "Hey, you little brat! Just because we have a tattoo on our cheek doesn't mean we're freaks, banshee!"

The said girl gasped. "How dare you call me a banshee?!"

"Well, you better believe it because you are one!"

Meiko pointed a finger at Reina and guffawed, tears in his eyes. "Ha! Layla-nee just called you a banshee!"

The blue-haired girl sniffed, facing her mother. "Mom! They're ganging up on me!"

"You're sixteen, Layla," Jude said and Lucy mumbled her thanks. "Stop acting like a child."

"But she called us tattoo freaks!" the said girl whined.

The man rolled his eyes at her dramatic behavior. "She was calling Meiko a tattoo freak, not you. If that wasn't true, you wouldn't be so offended."

Layla scoffed in disbelief. "Are you picking a fight with me, aniki?!"

"No," Jude said, wincing. "Just simmer down!"

"Fine!"

"Why in the world are you all shouting?!" Gerald appeared all of a sudden, arms folded over his chest by the doorway. "I swear even Fairy Tail can hear you with how loud you all are!"

"Who was shouting the loudest then?" Kaiya asked eagerly.

Gerald leered. "Reina-nee."

Meiko burst out laughing, slamming his hand on the table over and over, unable to stop his laughter. "Ha! You don't just scream like a banshee, but you have the voice of a howler monkey too!"

"I am not a monkey!"

"Well yes, but you sound like one!"

Gerald turned to their mother and to the eldest child. "Please tell me they haven't been at it for hours."

"Sadly, they have been at it for hours," Lucy grumbled, pouting. "If only Jellal would go home already! What is taking him so long?!"

"Maybe he knows what the consequences are for leaving you with your six children!" Layla beamed, wiggling her eyebrows.

Jude cupped his chin. "It is a possibility."

Lucy groaned. "I don't even have the energy to call out Loke or Virgo."

"They're injured from your last mission," the blonde man said. "It's alright, I'll deal with them."

Layla smirked. "Good luck with that then."

Jude hmphed and was about to head to the squabbling twins when a book flew past his head. He went rigid and turned around, taking a seat beside their mother. "On second thought, I'd rather not."

Layla cracked up and Jude glared at the girl. Kaiya giggled and blinked, looking over to the stove. She called their mother's attention. "Mommy, I think the rice is done."

Lucy gasped. "I almost forgot!" She quickly turned off the stove and opened the lid of the pot, sighing in relief at the perfectly cooked rice.

"Tattoo freak!"

Gerald twitched. "You're just a witty brat that's jealous you can't have one!"

Meiko guffawed once more. "You just offended Gerald! I pity him, having to go through your tantrums just because you don't have dad's tattoo!" He burst out laughing again and the younger boy held his head in his hands.

"Can someone please tell me why I have two morons for siblings," Gerald mumbled under his breath.

Reina huffed and cross her arms over her chest. "I was so not calling you a freak, Gerald! It's Meiko."

"I have a tattoo. I have enough reason to be offended."

Layla jumped in her stool and slammed a hand on the counter, grinning at Jude. "I told you so! See?! Even little Gerald is offended!"

"You are so busted by dad!" Meiko said, dancing a victory dance in front of his twin.

"Shut up, anti-cockroach!"

"Oh, I am so amazed at your ability to create ridiculous nicknames, banshee freak!"

"You'll be surprised at how fast I can make you run for your life!"

"I'd like to see you try!"

Reina grinned widely and stretched out her hand to his face. She held a cockroach by the antennae, and the roach's limbs wiggled in response. The color drained from Meiko's face and he screamed, running away from Reina who was now laughing her head off.

"Oh my! Your face was priceless!"

Lucy heaved a sigh and started to move the food to the dining room. "Stop fighting, Meiko, Reina. Come on, it's time to eat lunch."

The said twin's reacted at the same time. "Food!"

Jude chuckled and stood up from his seat, heading to the table with Kaiya and Layla trailing behind him. The little girl smiled happily. "Food, food, food, yum, yum!"

"Finally," Gerald grumbled, running his fingers through his hair before going after his siblings. They all sat around the dining table and Lucy sat on one end, smiling as she spread her arms.

"Itadakimasu!" They chorused, grins widening as they all dove for their chopsticks.

"Meiko! Elbows off the table!"

Reina snickered. "Busted!"

"Oh, shut up, you shrieking fool!"

Lucy threw a burst of magic towards their direction. A star hit the girl's head and she yelped. "Don't fight at the table!"

"Look who's busted now—OW!" Meiko's head tipped back as his head was flicked by Lucy's star again, and he pouted. "I'm sorry."

Their mother sighed and resumed eating. "You kids give me headaches."

Jude gave the twins a light glare. "You shouldn't stress mother so much. I was hyper as a kid, but not as much as you lot. I wonder who you got your energy from."

"Probably father," Layla muttered behind a bowl of rice. She grinned as Lucy visibly twitched.

"That good for nothing blue-haired fool—"

"I'm home!"

Everyone at the table froze considerably, slowly turning their heads towards their mother who was currently gripping her chopsticks too hard. She started shaking as the person they were just talking about entered the dining room, looking lost. He was dressed in his clothes from when he was still in Crime Sorcière and was currently getting rid of his high-collared cloak. He stiffened as he sensed Lucy's aura and swallowed thickly.

"A-Ah! Lucy, my love, would you like a relaxing massage? Did you miss me?"

The said woman twitched once more and in a flash, Jellal was pinned to the floor with an enraged Lucy on top of him. "You good for nothing buffoon! If you told me you were going on a lengthened mission, you should've brought your chaotic children with you!"

Layla whistled, leaning over to Jude. "Father's got it hard."

"I don't blame her." He sounded partially amused.

"I-I'm sorry! I didn't think it'd take long!"

"Oh, you didn't think, eh? You should've just brought me along then!"

"But you'd get hurt!"

"I'm a mage for crying out loud!"

"Your body's weak from giving birth too many times!"

"And whose fault do you think is that?!"

"Wha—you regret what we did?!"

"Of course not! But if I knew I'd suffer like this, I would've considered things more thoroughly!"

"Ah! You wound me!"

"Oh, shut up you dramatic fool!"

"Can I just eat lunch?! I haven't had a decent meal for a while now. You know I only like your cooking." At this, Lucy flushed and looked away, relaxing so that she sat on his hips. She crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him.

"Your petty little words can't fool me—"

"Please?" He begged and sat upright, slowly leaning forward so that their foreheads were touching. She turned darker as he whispered. "I missed you."

Layla covered her mouth from squealing. "Awww! Look at all that sappy romance!"

Gerald wrinkled his nose. "Who likes those things?"

"Mother does," the kids said simultaneously. They were oblivious to the fact that Lucy and Jellal were whispering lowly. Her anger had finally settled down, and was currently wrapped around her husband's finger.

He smiled and placed a kiss on her lips. "Alright. Now, what's the food?"

"Beef teriyaki and tonkatsu!" Meiko and Reina shouted at the same time before delving in their food.

Jellal sighed happily. "Sounds delicious."

"You better start eating before you run out of food, dad!" The boy said, grinning widely as the father ruffled his head.

"Did you really cause so much trouble for your mother?"

Lucy hmphed, going back to her seat which was just across Jellal's and said, "They've been bickering nonstop."

"Didn't I tell you guys to stop exhausting her?" he said, raising a brow.

Reina puffed her cheeks and Meiko pouted. "We're sorry," they said.

Jellal turned to give Lucy a smile. "See? They're behaved now."

"Thank goodness you're finally home," the woman said and heaved a relieved sigh. "I thought I was going to collapse from—"

"COLD! COLD! COLD! What in the world are you doing, you monkey!"

"I am not a monkey, you stinking combustible!"

"Hah?! What is that supposed to be?!"

"I don't know! I just have a feeling it fits you _so_ well!"

"Oh wow! You're such a moron!"

"Shut up you little cretin!"

"Screeching serpent!"

"Dingbat!"

"Flamboyant fondue!"

"What is that supposed to mean?!"

"I don't know! But you're a fondue!"

"But you're calling me food!"

Jellal flinched at Lucy's dark aura and said to Layla and Jude, "I see the implications."

The sixteen-year-old shrugged. "They're actually quite behaved right now. Yesterday they had a food fight and were screaming at each other like it was war."

"Ah, but they ruined mother's manuscript so she got mad and chased them out of the house," the other blonde said, placing his chopsticks on his bowl and placing his hands together. "Thank you for the food."

The bluenette paled at the thought. "Oh my, that sounds horrid—"

"YOU KIDS DON'T EVER STOP, DO YOU?! WELL THEN, AS FOR PUNISHMENT, I WANT YOU TWO TO BABYSIT NATSU AND LISANNA'S CHILD! UNTIL YOU PUT HER TO SLEEP, DON'T COME BACK HOME!" With a loud cry, Lucy stormed out of the room and left her food unfinished.

Meiko glared at Reina. "Look at what you did! Because of you, I have to deal with Natsume's snot all over again!"

"It's not my fault you reacted so badly to what I did!"

"You would scream too if I slid some ice cubes in your pants!"

"Uncle Gray wouldn't!"

"He's an ice mage! And plus, he's an idiot!"

"Well then you are too, because you are attracted to bats and nocturnal creatures!"

"At least I don't go around wailing like a banshee! You make it seem like someone's going to die!"

"I told you it's called singing, you mongrel!"

"I actually thought you were calling for help! And your scream is hideous!"

"I scream beautifully!"

"In your dreams, you chipmunk!"

"Are you calling me cute? Because chipmunks are!"

"Ew, no! Chipmunks are disgusting and you are one of them!"

"I will tear you apart limb by limb!" A burst of light flowed from Reina's hand as she stood on her chair in a fighting stance.

"Oh, I will make you eat your words!" Meiko shouted and wrestled her to the floor.

Jellal sighed. "Unfortunately, they've inherited my insanity from when I was manipulated by what I thought was Zeref's ghost."

"Ha! I knew it!" Layla said and grinned widely at Jude, wiggling her fingers out at him. "Give me that wad of cash, aniki!"

"Darn it," the young man muttered before fetching a few jewels out of his pocket. He reluctantly placed the money in her hands and sighed in defeat.

Meanwhile, Kaiya was smirking as Gerald handed her a wad of cash. The boy then started mumbling incoherent words under his breath, paying no heed to his younger sister who was currently counting the money. Kaiya grinned widely and high fived with Layla. "Score!"

Jellal's eyebrow twitched. "You made a bet?"

Jude lifted his shoulders in a half-hearted shrug. "It was an interesting subject."

"Nose-picking retard!"

"Everyone picks their nose, you howler monkey!"

"That's so disgusting!"

"WHAT DID I JUST SAY, MEIKO?! REINA?! I TOLD YOU TO HEAD OVER TO NATSU, DIDN'T I?"

"Yes mother!" they squeaked and hurried to leave the house, both shouting at each other the whole way there.

Jellal smiled wryly and leaned back on his chair. Ah, yes, it was just another normal day indeed.

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**A/N:** Oh my! This was so fun to write! Especially Meiko and Reina! Now, if you've seen any mistakes, please do forgive me. As you can see, I may have gone overboard with this. I really did enjoy their quarrels and such :D If you would like to see the family, I have drawn them and I have posted the picture on my facebook page :) The link to that will be found on my profile.

If you guys are confused about the family's appearances, this is the thing:

Blondes: Jude, Layla, Kaiya and Lucy  
Bluenettes: Gerald, Meiko, Reina and Jellal  
With tattoos: Layla, Kaiya, Jellal, Gerald and Meiko

Or you can just look at the picture I drew, just like I said :) And yes, Reina and Meiko are twins, but they don't look THAT identical. Reina doesn't have a tattoo while he has one. Anyway, that's it :)

If you enjoyed this one-shot, please leave a review or favorite it :D

__"But mom, Reina was singing like a banshee again!"__

_Bye! -Anne :D_

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_\- Please support/read my other stories: **Celebrity Issues, Good Meets Bad, Forgotten Memories, Life's Challenges, Queen of Stars, A Love That Lasts Forever, Fragile **and **Going Against The Current.**_


	2. The Love Story Part 1

**The Family of Eight**

**The Love Story Part 1**

**WARNING:** This chapter has not been beta read; I only proofread this.

**DISCLAIMER:** _I do not own Fairy tail, Hiro Mashima does_

* * *

Just like any other day, Meiko and Reina were bickering, Jude was training behind their house, Layla was painting her nails, Kaiya was taking her nap and Gerald was in his room, studying about magic. Due to the incident a few days ago that made their mother burst, she was now away on a week vacation, leaving the children in the care of her beloved husband.

Thus, the reason why Jellal was in the living room, groaning as the skirmish in front of him continued.

"You are a hyena!"

"I am not the one who peed on the bed last night!"

"That was not pee!"

"Yes, it was!"

"No, it's not!"

"It smelled like pee!"

"Your senses are always mixed up! Your ears are for seeing and your eyes are for hearing!"

Reina flushed bright red and she gritted her teeth, opening her mouth wide to scream. Jellal blinked and immediately took action, rushing forward to clamp his hand over her lips. He groaned. "Can't you guys stop fighting for just one day?"

Meiko crossed his arms over his chest. "No."

Their father sighed and fell back on the couch, nibbling on his bottom lip. After a few minutes of debating, he grinned and stretched his arms. "How about I tell you guys a story?"

That got their attention.

"What story?" Reina asked, seating herself on the floor next to her twin who was surprisingly not picking on her.

Jellal's grin widened. "I'm going to tell you how your mother and I fell in love."

"Sweet Mavis, did I hear right?"

"You did, Layla. Now dry your nails and let's go to the living room."

"I'm awake too, aniki and nee-chan!"

"This should be interesting."

Meiko and Reina stared at each other and then laughed at the sight of their siblings, Kaiya, Jude, Layla and Gerald, walking in the room to also sit on the floor. The eldest of the six chose to speak up.

"So… are you going to tell us everything?" He started, raising a brow, "or how you just met?"

"He'll tell everything of course, not if I can help it," Layla declared.

Jellal chuckled and leaned back, smiling. "I'll tell you everything."

"YES!"

He cleared his throat. "It all started one day, I asked Erza to meet up with me and…"

"_Can I bring Lucy with me?" _

_Jellal blinked, staring at the lacrima in his hand with furrowed brows. "No offense, but why would you bring her with you?"_

"_So that I won't seem too suspicious," Erza said, shrugging her shoulders. _

"_You sound suspicious already," Jellal joked and laughed, the affection evident in her eyes. "In two days' time, alright?"_

"_I'll be there."_

"Hold on just a minute," Kaiya said, earning the stares of the others. She crossed her arms over her chest and pouted. "How come you are talking about Aunt Erza? Are you cheating on mom?"

"I'm not!" Jellal protested, raising his arms in defense.

Jude raised a brow, interested. "But if you were in love with Aunt Erza before, how did you fall for mother?"

"I second that," Layla and Kaiya said, both eagerly scooting forward as they gathered around their father. The twins continued sitting on the floor along with Gerald who shrugged nonchalantly.

Jellal laughed. "That's the thing," he said, his eyes glinting with unconcealed happiness. "I fell for her while I was still with Erza."

They blinked. "How?"

"Let's just say things happened when she brought Lucy with her."

_It was a little past twelve when Erza arrived at their meeting place with Lucy in tow. This wasn't the first time he'd seen her, but she really did shine bright under the sun, especially with her blonde hair. That was how he thought of her and maybe it was a bit weird, but no one had to know about what he thought of her anyway. And besides, Erza was there._

_Lucy was laughing when they walked closer and Jellal had to squint his eyes to see them better. Erza was smiling at a comment the blonde made and now that they were even closer, Jellal realized how brown Lucy's eyes were._

_He frowned. He was thinking too much of his girlfriend's best friend._

"_Oh, Lucy, this is Jellal."_

_He snapped out of his thoughts to be met with Lucy's smiling face. He could see the unease in her eyes but was impressed as she shook his hand confidently. "Hi Jellal! I've been hearing a lot about you lately."_

_Erza flushed. "You didn't have to mention that."_

"_Oh please, it's worth mentioning."_

_The three of them ate lunch together and he was surprised at himself for enjoying the blonde's company. She was bubbly and that was different compared to Erza. She was also hilarious at times, and he found himself slightly disappointed that she was going to go somewhere else afterwards._

"_I hope you guys have fun," she said, a smile splitting her lips._

_Jellal intertwined his hand with Erza's. "Likewise, Lucy. Are you going somewhere?"_

_She shrugged then, an action she rarely did. "I'll probably go to a park and read a book or something. We'll see," was what she said. He found it so strange that she wouldn't go spying on them, or go playing someplace else. He was very shocked that she wasn't even going to go home yet._

"_You can go home now, if you want to," Erza suggested, worry evident in her voice._

"_No, it's okay," Lucy said, laughing as she turned to leave, her hand lifted up in a wave. "Bye."_

_As she started walking, they remained there, watching her figure go smaller and smaller. After a while, Jellal spoke up. "Why are you worried for her?"_

"_You see… she caught Natsu with Lisanna yesterday and she's still down about it," Erza said, her frown deepening. "I already beat him up for that but I never thought he would be capable of cheating. I kind of feel bad for making her accompany me on this trip."_

_His eyes widened. "What?"_

"Hold up! Hold up! Hold up!"

Jellal blinked, looking at Layla who was scowling. "Mother used to date Uncle Natsu? When the hell did that happen?"

"Language, lady—that happened a long time ago so we should forget about it."

She huffed. "Fine, but I'm going to have a talk with uncle."

"There's no stopping her," Jude said skeptically. "Cause I'm coming with."

Jellal sighed. "Do whatever you want. Now then…"

"_How can she smile like that?"_

_Erza smiled sadly, looking ahead of them. "I don't know, Jellal. She's really good at hiding her pain. I bet you didn't notice that she was faking it all."_

_He shook his head. She sighed. "Well, we have no choice but to let her deal with the pain. For now, let's go and enjoy this day."_

_He knew he wasn't going to enjoy the day. He was baffled with the blonde. How could she smile so wide when her heart was probably shattered into smithereens? She was amazing, that Lucy. He hadn't thought of anyone so high before Erza, and now that he had, he didn't mind at all. He was in such a foul mood that he didn't hear much of what his girlfriend said, but he appeared as if he was paying attention to her._

_He closed his eyes solemnly. He had a girlfriend. He shouldn't even be thinking of someone else while they were out on a date—_

"I feel bad for cutting you off but basically you're saying that you were already interested in mother the moment you saw her but you were with Erza so you focused more on loving her?" Reina asked.

Jellal winced and nodded.

Meiko whistled. "You are sick, dad, but that's cool."

The father twitched. "Well then, let's skip to the part where I saw Lucy again, and this was a few days later after my date with Erza."

_Sometime later, he saw her while he was out on a job at Oshibana. She was in the market with brown paper bags filled with grocery items in her arms. He was wearing a cloak as she passed by him, and he supposed she didn't realize they passed by each other until he called her attention._

"_Do you need help with that?"_

_She turned around swiftly and saw Jellal's blue hair underneath the hood of his cloak. She laughed and handed him a paper bag. "Sure, Jellal. Thank you."_

_There it was again—her smile. It was so flawless, as if she wasn't in pain at all. It made him think she was over Natsu, but one look into her eyes and—_

"Father sure likes to stare into mother's eyes a lot," Kaiya whispered to Gerard.

"Shh, Kaiya."

—_he knew she was still hurting. He thought about her after his date, and he found her really intriguing. As he pondered over the blonde, he remembered her even more. When he was still in the Magic Council as Siegrain, he remembered seeing her with Natsu. She would always be there wherever Natsu caused destruction, and it kind of made sense why they ended up together._

_But why did he cheat on her?_

_He never pegged Natsu to be a two-timer. He didn't even think he was mature enough to like anyone. He knew the dragon slayer was as dense as a rock, maybe even denser. There was this nagging thought that the girl had something to do with the whole thing and not Natsu. _

_Jellal sighed. He didn't care anyway what else happened to the two. It was their problem to deal with._

_Glancing at Lucy from the corner of his eye, there he saw it, her true face. Her lips, which were smiling so widely before, were pressed tightly. And her eyes—her eyes were dull. He suddenly saw himself inside her eyes when he was so miserable, screaming in pain inside jail and—_

_He looked away. This wasn't the time to be reminiscing over the past._

"_Well, this is where I'm staying for now," Lucy said, breaking the silence as they stopped in front of an inn. She stared at him, beaming. "Thank you for your help, Jellal."_

_He continued staring at her. She put up her façade so quickly that he wondered whether what he saw earlier was only his imagination. Wordlessly, he nodded and handed her the bag he was holding. He watched her enter the inn and when the door shut in front of him, he vanished._

"I didn't see her again after that, because things between Erza and I got complicated as we were almost caught. I almost wished I'd bump into her, because I had some questions for her," Jellal said, staring at the ceiling as he recalled all of his encounters with Lucy. "I wanted to know whether she was staying at an inn to get away from Natsu, but I never had the time to ask."

"I didn't think you two were so complicated before," Jude mused, his lips curled in an amused smile. "But then again, you two still are."

Layla laughed and grinned. "Very well said, aniki."

Jellal rolled his eyes. "Say whatever you want." He huffed. "Anyway, the next time I saw her was during Fantasia, precisely five months after our encounter at Oshibana."

"Fantasia?! That's so cool! Was mom in the parade?" Meiko asked excitedly.

Their father chuckled softly. "Indeed she was. And I still remember how awestruck I was when I saw her…"

_Erza told him to attend the Fantasia parade. He was reluctant at first, and he didn't want to go. He was aware that there would be a large amount of people, and that the risks of him being seen were high. But it was his girlfriend who asked him to go. He couldn't resist._

_As of the moment, he was in an alley, the view of the still-growing-crowd in front of him. He leaned his shoulder against the wall and carefully placed his mask up to his nose, swinging the hood over his head. He was being cautious, as he didn't want to be seen or caught by the council. The parade was about to start, and he didn't know what made him feel so jittery: seeing Lucy again or Erza._

_Somehow he had a feeling he should pick the latter, but he was sure he was leaning towards his first reason—which was bad._

_Soon enough the music started playing, and bubbles were everywhere. His lips twitched into a smile as he moved to the roofs, getting a better view of the parade. He sat down and enjoyed the show._

_Everyone at Fairy Tail were present. He spotted the two gun users, and the script mage, and some of their other mages. Gray was with Juvia, the water woman, and were making it snow. They also made a garden out of ice on their float, all the while smiling at the cheering mass of people._

_Jellal was looking forward to something else though._

_The next performance was done by the three dragon slayers: Natsu, Gajeel and Wendy. Natsu was making figures and faces with his flames, while Gajeel made steel pieces. Wendy used some air to float the metal around until they formed words: FANTASIA. The crowd cheered loudly once again as the three bowed._

_Where was she?_

_The exceeds were flying around while carrying some other Fairy Tail members. When they were high up in the air, the exceeds dropped them and they landed on Elfman Strauss who was now in beast form. There were catcalls and whistles as Mirajane transformed into Satan Soul, flying around Elfman's body while holding a long banner with their guild name: FAIRY TAIL. _

_Lisanna had her own float, where she jumped from bamboo to bamboo in her tigress form. When she reached the top, she jumped and transformed her arms into wings, zooming across each float to reach the first one, waving wildly._

_He continued to search for her._

_Float after float, he recognized their faces. The Thunder God Tribe. Jet and Droy. Macao Conbolt and his son, Romeo. Cana Alberona. But he still didn't see them yet._

_Then he heard people screaming for someone._

_Erza._

"How did you react, father?"

"I'm getting to that."

_She was beautiful, indeed she was. She was wearing a wedding dress for some reason, a bouquet in her hands as she waved at the crowd. She seemed to be looking for him as her eyes darted around and around, but still she didn't see him. After a while she changed into her Nakagami armor in front of everyone, which may have caused massive nosebleeds. She was summoning different kinds of weapons around her and he didn't know why—_

_Until he saw the next float._

"Oh, look at the time," Jellal said, clicking his tongue as he stared at the wall clock. "It's time to cook dinner."

Their reactions were hilarious.

"What?! No way you're stopping now!" Meiko and Reina both wined, for once getting along.

Layla groaned and dragged a hand down her face. "You can't be serious."

"Apparently he is," Jude muttered under his breath.

Kaiya pouted, leaning against Gerard who was twitching. "You can't do this daddy," she said and clasped her fingers together. "Please, please, please tell us what happens next!"

"We all know it's mother who's going to appear next," her brother grunted beside her. "But I want to know how he reacted."

Jellal laughed and stood up, heading into the kitchen. "Enjoy the suspense, guys. For now, though, let's eat."

They all groaned simultaneously. "This is so unfair!"

"Deal with it."

Another groan.

"I promise I'll tell you what happens next after dinner."

"Fine," they said and slowly piled around the dining table, pouting.

Jellal smiled. "Good."

* * *

**A/N:** Okay so I know this is all suspense for you as well, and I'm sorry about that hahaha. I know it seems weird that Jellal was already into Lucy the moment they met, but he still loved Erza, he was just curious. And it's normal to feel attracted to pretty people anyway :D Anyway, if you liked Part 1, then please leave a revew and tune in for part 2! If you found any mistakes, forgive me :)

_"We are the children of the stars."_

_Byee! -Anne :D_

* * *

_\- Please support/read my other stories: **Celebrity Issues, The Devil and the Assassin, Fragile, Life's Challenges, Forgotten Memories, Queen of Stars, A Love That Lasts Forever **and **Going Against The Current.**_


	3. The Love Story Part 2

**The Family of Eight**

**The Love Story Part 2**

**NOTE:** Thank you **Rosella6199** for beta reading this chapter. You really are the best beta anyone could ask for ;)

**DISCLAIMER:** _I do not own Fairy tail, Hiro Mashima does_

* * *

Dinner was finally finished, and everyone was gathering in the living room. They left the windows open to let in the cool breeze, and when everyone was comfortable and seated on the floor, Jellal took his place on the couch.

He felt like an old man telling stories to his grandchildren. He heaved a sigh of relief and smiled as he leaned back. "Well, are you ready?"

"No more stalling!" Kaiya whined along with Layla.

Gerard rolled his eyes. "We've been waiting for too long already."

Jellal laughed. "Okay, okay. So here we go…"

_He forgot how to breathe._

_She was wearing a hot pink ball gown, her hair tied in a bun. She looked just like when she was still living with her father—all dolled up and fancy. Her eyes sparkled with grace and she was smiling. But she wasn't all elegant and nice like a princess should be. She was reciting Urano Metoria to destroy the floating weapons Erza had summoned earlier._

_He couldn't tear his gaze away._

_The stars fell on the swords and one by one they shattered. The weapons happened to be made out of magic, so when they broke, they exploded into tiny stars. When Lucy was finished, she called out her spirit Virgo. In a flash, she changed into new attire: a red backless dress that clung to her body. Together with her spirit, they bowed and the crowd screamed at her to do more._

_At last, he released the breath he held and closed his eyes. He could still picture her smile—it was real this time._

_She was finally over Natsu._

"Awww!" Layla said, grinning like an idiot. "Isn't that adorable."

"Sickeningly so," Gerard mumbled. Though he said that, there was a faint tint of pink on his cheeks.

Jellal chuckled and clasped his hands in front of him, his eyes softening as memories resurfaced. "She really was beautiful… just like a princess."

_The parade was finally over and Jellal watched Lucy talk with her friends. He wanted to chat with her, even if it was just for a while. He still had questions that he wanted to be answered and he had been waiting for too long to waste this chance._

_Silently, he willed Lucy to look up, to see him on the roof. And miraculously, she did._

_Her eyes widened as she saw him and at that moment, he raised his hand and with his magic, formed an image of the park. _

_Her face broke into a smile._

_With a whisper, he used meteor to get to the park in time. He leaned against the tree and waited patiently for the blonde. He took in deep breaths and tried to calm down. His heart was beating faster and faster, hammering and pounding inside his chest. He could hear every thud in his ears, and felt colder and colder as seconds ticked by._

_Finally, he was going to talk to Lucy. The excitement and anticipation was unbearable even as he tried to stay still. But he couldn't, so he sat down on a bench._

_He had been thinking for a while what to say to her. She was a bit hard to approach with their situation, and even though Erza was his girlfriend, he couldn't ask her about Lucy because that would be weird. He had a couple questions in mind, but he didn't know which to ask. _

_"Hey Jellal! Been a while!"_

_Startled, he turned his head to find Lucy walking towards him. He flushed as he realized she was still wearing the backless dress, and he cleared his throat to ease the awkwardness that he felt. "It has been a while."_

_She sat beside him and grinned. "I didn't know you'd watch Fantasia."_

_He shrugged. "Erza told me to come."_

_"I see," she hummed, smiling—always smiling. "So, is there a reason why we're here?"_

_"Well… I…"_

"What a wimp, dad," Meiko said, moaning. "Why can't you just tell her how you feel?"

Reina snickered. "It's cause he was still dating Aunt Erza at that time and was probably afraid he'd die a slow death."

Jellal winced. "Well… that may have something to do with it but things were really complicated back then."

Jude laughed and ran his fingers through his hair. "Just continue the story."

"Fine."

_"Well?"_

_He nibbled on his bottom lip and finally gathered up to courage to speak. "For starters… why were you staying at Oshibana five months ago?"_

_He saw her eyes widen in shock and pain, as if she recalled everything that happened. He almost felt bad he asked, but he was desperate for an answer. And surprisingly, she gave him that._

_"I… needed to get away."_

_He didn't say anything._

_"I think it's because seeing them every day felt like torture," she whispered quietly. "I didn't want to go through that."_

_He could hear her clearly under the rustling of the leaves. From the corner of his eye, he could see her clenching her fists tightly, her eyebrows furrowed. He forced himself to avert his gaze, quietly listening to the distant sound of music playing._

_"I'm glad you were there that day."_

_A pause._

_"You saved me."_

_He looked at her, like really looked at her, and drew in a sharp breath. He wanted to say something, but Lucy cut him off._

_"Thank you."_

_He looked away, his throat clogged up. He wanted to tell her that it was all right, and he wanted to ask her what help did he give her. But the questions in his mind vanished, and he swallowed thickly. He knew that now was not the time to ask her for more answers. He'd ask her again next time, whenever they'd meet again._

_In a moment, she was chuckling. _

_"I'll be going now," she told him, standing up to leave. He didn't stop her, and didn't look at her. He waited until the crunching of grass was gone, and waited until the night was silent. He sat there until all the lights went out, until there was no one left in the park except for him. And only then did he close his eyes and finally left._

There was a deafening silence as Jellal stopped talking for a while, staring at the floor with a longing look on his face. Layla and Jude stared at their father worriedly while Meiko and Reina whispered to each other about the sudden quietness. Kaiya was talking to Gerard openly about how Jellal should have just kissed her. The comment almost made them laugh.

Jellal sighed. "There are days where I regret ever asking her that question. She sounded so devastated and it was horrible."

"But it's over now, father," Jude said, smiling. "It's over."

The head of the family chuckled and nodded. "It is." He passed a hand over his forehead and blinked his sleepy eyes. "You know, your mother always got into trouble."

"I expected as much," Layla said, stifling a laugh.

Kaiya giggled. "Mommy tends to do that on missions."

Jellal laughed with them. "She does get into a lot of trouble. Lucy and I didn't meet again after a year since our encounter at Fantasia. Erza and I still went out, but I never saw her again. Erza would mention her sometimes whenever she was talking about Team Natsu, but most of the time she'd talk about cake and weaponry and armory… there's no Lucy."

Meiko frowned. "Then what happened?"

"We set our sights on dark guild, Meredy and I, and found out that they were holding a mage captive."

_"Spit it out, fairy!"_

_Jellal and Meredy looked at each other worriedly as they stood beside the window. The dark guild, Vengeance, was holding a mage captive. Crime Sorcière decided long ago that they were going to get rid of the guild, but due to other events, couldn't._

_The pinkette next to him whispered, "They have a Fairy Tail mage as their captive?"_

_"I wasn't expecting that," he mumbled. Fairy Tail was a destructive guild, and it seemed almost impossible to get a hold of one of their members. _

_What happened?_

_ "Tell me where the jade is!"_

_There was a sudden silence, and then a chuckle. "I'm not telling you anything. I don't even know what you're talking about, and if I did, why would I tell you?"_

_Jellal's eyes widened. "That voice…"_

_Meredy blinked, looking at him with a confused look on her face. "Jellal?"_

_"Would you rather be killed then, Lucy Heartfilia?"_

_He sucked in a sharp breath, his eyes widening further. He was right! It was her! But why was she held captive at the base of Vengeance?_

_"Kill me if you want to," she said confidently, her voice steady. "That way, the secret is buried with me."_

_Jellal gritted his teeth, grasping Meredy's shoulder. "We have to save her… now!"_

_She bit her lip and shook her head. "Not now!" she whispered loudly._

_"Now, Meredy!"_

_"Just a few more seconds, please!"_

_Jellal closed his eyes shut and held back. He wanted to burst in the room and kill whoever kidnapped Lucy. But Meredy was right—they had to wait._

_"We'll kill you, alright."_

_Jellal clenched his fists tighter._

_"But first… we're going to have fun."_

Jude blinked, staring at his father's shaking figure. He was furious, that much was obvious. It was so astonishing to see him in anger, as he was always the type to be calm and collected. But he was—

"Daddy?"

Jellal released his death-grip on the couch's arm rest and relaxed. "Yes, Kaiya?"

"What will happen next?"

He let out a tired laugh and continued the story.

_The double doors to the room were slammed open by someone, and the people inside started to get into their fighting stance. Lucy lifted her head, her eyes hazy as she tried to see through the smoke and dust. It was getting harder for her to stay conscious, especially with the enemy's hand on her neck. The girl, whoever she was, had the power to make her feel like she was in pain. And she was also the one who kidnapped her._

_Lucy felt her consciousness dropping further and further, she tried to shake away the girl's hand. If this continued, her magic would be sucked away. _

_"Lucy!"_

_Her body shuddered, turning her head to the direction of the voice._

_Her eyes widened. "That voice…"_

_The smoke cleared and she held her breath._

_"Jellal…?"_

_"Idiot!"_

_She blinked, startled as she saw Jellal speeding towards her. Someone, a pinkette, was fending off the dark guild while he headed towards her. She opened her mouth to warn him about the girl behind her but before she could, Jellal's face twisted in anger and extended his hand, light pouring out of his palm. Lucy felt the hand on her neck slip away as the girl fell to the floor._

_She stared into Jellal's eyes and the hair on her nape rose. He looked so mad._

_"Idiot…"_

_She stayed quiet while he broke the cuffs on her wrists. Wordlessly she stood up and then fell forward, landing straight into his arms. She laughed apologetically. "Sorry… I… can't stand."_

_He held her close to him, fearing that if he let her go, she would disappear. He clenched his jaw. "Troublesome—you're so troublesome."_

_"You always save me anyway," she breathed out, her eyes shutting close. "Just… like… Natsu…"_

_Jellal furrowed his eyebrows and fisted his hands, hoisting Lucy on his back. She automatically clasped her hands around him and he shifted her. "I only saved you twice, and I still don't know how I saved you the first time. And never compare me to Natsu," he said, growling. "I'm not a scumbag like him who cheated on you."_

_She froze. "How did you…"_

_"Erza told me."_

_She remained silent then sighed, the tension easing off her shoulders. "He told me he was just… confused about the differences of love for a friend and love for a lover. He loved me as a comrade, but he loved Lisanna as a woman."_

_He pursed his lips and listened to her next words._

_"To be honest, I'm already over it. I just… I just wish he told me sooner so that the pain would be… would be…" she broke off and sobbed into his shoulder, hiccups escaping her lips. "He may have loved me only as a friend, but I loved him more than that and—and it hurts. And I know it's been more than a year since that happened, and that I should be over this but… it just…"_

_"Shh." _

_Lucy cried and dismissed the chaos ensuing behind them, listening to Jellal's voice. "I'm here, okay? Forget about Natsu for now. Okay?"_

_She sniffed. "Okay."_

"We defeated the guild and I treated Lucy's wounds at our hideout. It turned out they were looking for something that they knew was hidden in Fairy Tail, but it was actually in Lucy's possession. They tortured her for a bit by draining her magic and punching her gut, but other than that, there was no slash or cut on her skin. She was actually very happy that she didn't gain any scars at all," Jellal said, laughing at the end.

"Did she finally move on afterwards?" Gerard asked, casually supporting his weight with his arms as he leaned back.

Jellal nodded. "She did."

"Then what happened?" Layla asked, frowning.

"I don't know."

Their jaws dropped, eyes going as wide as saucers as Jellal laughed. "What?"

"What do you mean you don't know?!" Gerard exclaimed, flushing as everyone's stares landed on him. He looked away. "I m-mean… you can't just say that."

"Well… I kind of forgot," their father said and grinned sheepishly. "I'll try to remember it though as I'm going to sleep. For now, it's time for bed."

Layla groaned, dragging a hand down her face. "But it's too early for bed!"

Jellal sighed. "Will you promise you'll go to bed if I tell you what happened next?"

"You mean everything?" Jude asked, raising a brow.

The father twitched. "No, I mean what happened on a certain amount of time. We didn't just get together afterwards anyway. Plus, I was still with Erza."

Reina guffawed. "After all that, you were still with Aunt Erza? Wow, you must be some kind of sick boyfriend then."

Meiko laughed as well and leaned into his twin. "You said it."

Jellal felt a vein throbbing on his cheek. "Do you want to know what happens next or not?"

"Aye!"

He heaved a sigh. "Well… I guess we can say that she moved on with her life and so did I. But fate wasn't as cruel as we thought in the end."

_2 years. For 2 cruel years he had not seen her. Not even a glimpse of her hair, or a murmur of her voice, not even a word of her name. Erza rarely mentioned her, and she seemed much more hostile these days. He didn't know why, but she got angry easier, and she often ended up destroying things wherever they went. He didn't want to ask if it was connected to Lucy because that would seem too suspicious and not to mention a downer. _

_He went to Magnolia once for a mission, but it was quick, and he didn't even see her. He passed by Fairy Tail, tried to sense her magic, but it wasn't there. He had a feeling he was unlucky and she was out on a mission, or in the worst case scenario, was gone. Gone as in dead. But he didn't want to be pessimistic, so he ignored the fact that for two long years, in which they did not speak nor see each other._

_Two years felt like forever to him. It felt as if time itself stopped moving, and though he kept doing missions to get his mind off the matter, it was temporary. He'd be relieved of the devastation, but it'd return as soon as he was free from jobs. He wanted to talk to her. Just seeing her was enough, but nothing happened._

_Nothing._

Jellal went silent for a while, staring at the ceiling with distant eyes. His children looked at him worriedly. "Daddy?" Kaiya whispered gently.

He snapped out of his daze and smiled. "Ah, right, right…"

_After what seemed like an eternity, he finally saw her again. But their meeting wasn't as nice as how he pictured it in his head. He daydreamed of seeing her laughing and smiling at him, talking as if the two year absence never happened. But no—she looked terrible._

_Her eyes were bloodshot, lips cracked, skin bruised, pale—she looked as if she was barely breathing._

_"Lu…cy?"_

_She didn't move or utter, but the glimmer in her eyes told him she was listening._

_"What happened?"_

_First, a sob escaped her lips. Next, he hugged her. He knew they were in public—they were right in front of her guild. But he wanted her to know that whatever she was going through, she was going to be okay. _

_"I'm sorry…"_

_He bit his lip. "Why are you apologizing? What did you do to me?"_

_"Not to you." Her voice sounded eerie, like a hoarse throat. "To your girlfriend."_

_His eyes widened and he pulled back. He held her shoulders, searching for her eyes. "What do you mean? What did you do to Erza?"_

_The events that happened next were a blur to him even now. She was breathing faster and heavier, as if she was going into cardiac arrest. Her eyes were darting around the place, avoiding his gaze, pushing him away. He called her name, but his voice fell on deaf ears and before he knew it, she was running away. _

_He was about to run after her, but he was stopped._

_"Jellal."_

_He knew that voice well, and somehow, he didn't feel guilty that he was seen hugging someone else._

_"Jellal."_

_He turned to her. "What happened to Lucy?"_

_Erza's eyes saddened and she threw her head back, eyes casted upwards at the blue sky. "Lucy…" she paused, and that pause caused a jolt of fear in Jellal's heart._

_"She wants to kill herself."_

Jellal laughed softly and stood up from his couch. "I've told you what I can tell you for now. I can't bear telling all of you this in one day, because it's a lot to take in and the emotions are… heavy."

No one said anything against that. This time, they quietly went into their rooms, leaving the father falling back into his chair as he wiped the dread away from his eyes.

* * *

**A/N:** Before you guys go on writing down ways to kill me, relax and let me tell you first to leave a review if you liked the chapter. If you have any questions, please leave them in your review.

Okay I am scared for life now.

_"Bring me to life."_

_Byee! -Anne :D_

* * *

_\- Please support/read my other stories: **Celebrity Issues, The Devil and the Assassin, Fragile, Life's Challenges, Forgotten Memories, Queen of Stars, A Love That Lasts Forever **and **Going Against The Current.**_


	4. The Love Story Part 3

**The Family of Eight**

**The Love Story Part 3**

**WARNING:** This chapter was not beta read; I merely proofread this.

**DISCLAIMER:** _I do not own Fairy Tail, Hiro Mashima does._

* * *

"Good morning aniki!"

Jude looked at Layla, nodding in greeting. His eyes looked tired and his hair was disheveled from his sleep. He yawned and proceeded to get a glass of water for himself. Layla leaned closer and whispered in his ear. "Father fell asleep in the living room."

"I know," he muttered back, drinking his water. When he was done, he placed it in the sink and raked his fingers through his hair. "I never thought they had such a complicated life before. I thought they just got together right away."

Layla stretched her arms and released a yawn. "I was thinking the same way," she said, shrugging. "But I guess there's always the bad before the good."

Jude chuckled and ruffled her hair. "They have us now, so I guess none of that matters anymore. Are the others still sleeping?"

"Gerard was just getting out of bed when I passed by his room," Layla said, gesturing towards the hallway leading to the said boy's room. "Maybe he's still freshening up."

"And the twins?"

"Snoring like pigs."

Jude and Layla laughed silently, their shoulders shaking. It was hard for them to keep in their laughs. He stifled another round of laughter and asked, "What about Kaiya?"

Layla smiled widely. "She was stirring in her sleep when I peeked into her room so maybe she's awake now."

"Good," Jude said, moving to the stove. "We should start on preparing breakfast since father's still sleeping. And I don't want him to cook for us when he's still probably emotionally drained. What do you say, Layla?"

"I say let's cook," she said and grinned, tying her hair up into a high ponytail. And so the two eldest siblings began cooking for the family.

Moments later, Kaiya entered the room, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. Gerard followed in suit and yawned a greeting at them, waving his hand slightly. Then the twins came, both already fighting over something stupid once again. And apparently they woke up their father who came strolling in the room, looking as tired as ever. But he wore a smile on his face while he greeted them a bright good morning.

And then minutes later, the seats around the table were already taken. Layla and Jude were at their rightful seats, already digging in the food. There was one empty chair, but that belonged to Lucy and she was gone for now, away on a relaxing vacation.

"You kids are up early," Jellal said, smiling amusedly.

Layla rolled her eyes. "I don't know about them, but I just couldn't wait to hear the rest of the story. You've stalled it long enough as it is."

"I second that!" Kaiya eagerly said, suddenly waving a spoon in the air.

"Come on, it's sad but hey, I know you've got a happy ending!" Meiko shouted, grinning widely. Reina laughed, agreeing with him—which was rare—and tried to say something but with her mouth full, she shut up.

Jellal looked at them with another smile, his tired eyes slowly brightening up. "Well… we did have a happy ending. But as they say, there must first be a storm before the rainbow."

"Is it going to be a big storm?" Kaiya asked, her lips pulling into a frown.

Their father was quiet, his eyes drifting outside the window. He ever so slowly nodded his head, finally seeing their distraught faces. He forced on another smile. "But what comes after is a very big rainbow. Come on, let's continue eating. Wouldn't want to delay the story any longer… right?"

The siblings looked at each other and then grinned, pumping their fists in the air. "AYE!"

* * *

They were in the living room again, with the curtains drawn over the windows to make it seem like it was nighttime. The weather was cool, and so some of them had a pillow or two and a blanket or whatever with them while they sat on the floor. They gathered around Jellal who was in his usual seat, his hands gripping a mug of hot coffee.

He took a sip from his drink and placed it on the small coffee table next to him. He cleared his throat. "So… where was I?"

No one answered. He blinked and sighed, realizing why. "Oh yeah. That part. Well… after that I confronted Erza about it…"

"_What do you mean she wants to kill herself?!"_

_People turned to stare at him in curiosity but he paid them no heed. He was breathing heavily, his eyes wide and frantic. Erza looked at him sadly, her own eyes nearly shedding tears. She sucked in a sharp breath and tore her gaze away from him, tilting her head back and gazing up at the orange sky._

"_These past two years have been… harsh," she whispered at last, earning herself a short gasp. She resisted the urge to look back at him. "I know she's suffering on her own and I feel sorry for her. I just didn't think she'd turn into this… tragedy."_

"_Did you… Did you do something to her? Did you fight with her?" Jellal rasped out, his eyes narrowing into slits._

_That was when she finally reacted, her head twisting to catch his stare. He didn't wince nor flinch from the hurt expression on her face. She pressed her lips together and sighed, releasing all the pent-up anger inside her with just that little action. She shook her head. "I would never hurt her. At least not physically."_

"_Erza… what did you do?"_

_She smiled bitterly. "Take a wild guess."_

_Jellal looked at her and growled. "You know I'm bad at that."_

"_Well… I thought you improved over time…"_

"_This is not the time for joking around, Erza!" he barked all of a sudden, his voice so loud it shook her strong demeanor. She stared at him with wide eyes, her body frozen. He was panting now, tired from screaming and from all the secrets._

_He sighed heavily and ran a hand through his hair. "Sorry, that was uncalled for."_

_She nodded and gave him a silent look of understanding. "It's okay. You just want answers." She crouched down and sat down on a bench close to him. He moved and sat next to her, listening to her quiet breathing before telling him everything he wanted to know. "Lucy is… a very kind person. Sometimes I think she trusts people too easily, and I think that's a bad thing. It should be, but for her it's so essential that she can't bring herself to deny people of what they want. Of what we want."_

_He immediately knew where this was doing and felt very scared. But he didn't say anything and continued to listen. "She'll do anything as long as you ask her something that she can accomplish, and we are all grateful for that," Erza mumbled, head lowered and her hands fisted on her lap. "I just wish she could act cruel every now and then."_

"_What happened?" was what he instantly asked. He knew rushing her was bad, but he was on edge. He didn't know what to do, didn't know what to think. What made Lucy feel suicidal?_

_Erza sucked in a sharp breath as if she was preparing for something horrible. He felt cold. "In the past two years, she isolated herself from everyone. At first no one knew why and they tried to talk to her. But her house was always locked and she was always away. We weren't sure if she was even there during the time she suddenly went away. We were certain that it had something to do with Natsu, but then we realized she was over it. She moved on. So why him?_

_And then three months later, she was at the guild. She looked so dead. So… un-Lucy. I didn't recognize her at first, and I should have. But I was used to the Lucy that always smiled and greeted me first. I was used to the Lucy who didn't divert her gaze every time you tried to talk to her. That day, I told myself, "That is not Lucy." I was convinced for a while that it really wasn't her. She barely talked. She was never with Levy for more than two minutes. She'd stand up and excuse herself, telling us that she was going to leave for a job. _

_Gray caught her that day by the river, just looking at the water. He told me he was about to approach her but couldn't. He told me he suddenly felt powerless and frightened by the look in her eyes, like she was some black hole that could suck anyone in. However, she turned and faced him. By then the look of death was already very apparent. Her skin was paler than ever, her eyes ringed black, her lips cracked dry… he told me he couldn't look at her for more than a minute._

_But you know, she smiled."_

_Jellal looked at the redhead and blinked. "She smiled?"_

_She nodded, her lips pressed tight. "That smile was like a farewell to Gray. And apparently, if he hadn't found her then, he wouldn't have been even able to see it. Because right after she smiled, she jumped in the freezing water."_

"She _what?!_"

Jellal looked at his children and chuckled. It seemed amusing to him now, but back then it felt like he was dying. "Yes, she jumped in the river around January."

Gerald shuddered visibly, imagining the scene. "That must've been _so_ cold…"

"Yeah," Layla said, frowning. "But what happened next?"

_He couldn't really feel his limbs anymore, with how bland she was about the whole incident. He wanted to scream at her, to shout and ask why she was so calm about the whole ordeal. Was it because it was all in the past now? Or was it because he didn't care? These thoughts of him ripped him to pieces. He didn't react violently though. But he was shaking._

"_Gray was immobilized with shock and I actually yelled at him, asking why he didn't move a limb. But he told me he moved after a few seconds and went after her, diving in the waters as well. He said that even he could tell how cold it was. And you know what's even scarier? When he found her, she had her eyes open. "It was like staring at death itself," were his exact words. She went unconscious when he reached her and brought her back to the surface._

_He performed CPR, brought her to the guild and Wendy healed her. She stayed in the infirmary for days, sleeping. According to Wendy, she was emotionally drained and she was lacking sleep, which was causing a huge toll on her. She said it was something that even she, the Sky Dragon Slayer, couldn't fix. And that it was only up to Lucy if she wanted to fix herself or not._

_What frightens me is that I think she's decided to stay broken forever," Erza whispered, her eyes finding his. They were full of worry and terror of what the future could bring. "She looks even worse now than before, and I'm scared for her, but at the same time, I feel great."_

_Jellal stiffened and she released a heavy sigh. "Wait, okay? I know it's cruel, but to be honest before all of this started, I already knew why she was emotionally drained."_

"_Why?" he choked out painfully, trying not to scream although he wanted to. Very much._

"_Because she fell for you."_

"OH MY GOD, DID I HEAR RIGHT?" Layla shouted, fanning her face with her hands. "After ages, he finally knows!? Thank Mavis!"

Meiko whistled, grinning widely. "Finally, the truth is out."

"But how did Aunt Erza know?" Reina asked, scooting forwards with anticipation. "Did mother tell her? Did you accidentally tell her?"

Jellal rolled his eyes and smiled. "I was getting to that."

"Oh, okay."

_He held his breath. "What?"_

"Hold up, hold up, hold up! Are you telling me that after what she just said, that was all you could say? Shame on you!" Layla said, clicking her tongue in tune with Kaiya.

"Can you please stop interrupting and just listen?" Jellal asked with irritation.

"Fine."

_She looked at him and smiled resentfully. "Yes, well, it was obvious wasn't it? But you couldn't see that, because you were always gone whenever she had this dazed look on her face at the mention of your name, or just seeing anything relatable to you. I believe she even begun to like the color blue after a while, but at that time I was too terrified to accept this so I forced myself to believe that that was all a trick of the mind._

_I didn't want to ask her about it or talk to anyone about it, because I didn't know how to explain it. Was it wrong of me to have brought her with me when we went out at that time? I regretted it greatly, and still tried to convince myself that Lucy was still moving on from Natsu. I knew, however, that she had already let go. I was blinding myself with lies, with my own comfort and nearly surrendered as well. But then one day, I woke up and just accepted it. Just like that, I knew there was no going back._

_And when I saw her at the guild three months later after her sudden isolation, I couldn't look at her without feeling a strong punch to my gut. I know I suck at faking smiles, but I tried one anyway, for her. And when she just looked at me and then turned away, reality hit me. She knew. She knew what I knew and we both knew that it was going to break us. It hit me so hard that I couldn't breathe properly afterwards. _

_And I confronted her. I told her to stop. I told her to let go. I asked her to leave you alone. I asked her to leave us alone. I told her to never show her face to me ever again. And because she's Lucy, because she never denies people of what they want, because she's too kind to turn down anyone—she said yes._

_But I realized I couldn't do that to her. I couldn't be so harsh to her and just rip her from the one she loved most. But by the time I knew that, I was too late. That was when she continued her seclusion. That was when she started to withdraw into herself even more. Maybe her world is full of you, or of me, or of suicide. Maybe it's a bubble I would never dare enter in fear of feeling the same, but it is what she feels now because of you. No, because of me." She looked at him straight in the eye and he realized how broken she was as well. He didn't comment on this though._

"_If I hadn't brought her with me… if she hadn't met you… this wouldn't have happened," she said through choked sobs. Jellal made no movement to hug her or comfort her, because he didn't know if he wanted to. He listened to her choking on her tears, listened to her sniffing and to her trying to regain her breath. _

_He didn't like her words. He didn't like her regret or her bitter feelings. "I'm glad I met her," he said carefully, knowing that one word could pull the trigger. "I don't regret anything."_

"_You don't, but I regret it a lot. I can see I'm losing you, J-Jellal," she told him, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Whenever we were together after that, I could see the questioning look in your eyes. I didn't want to bring her up, and that made it seem like I was bitchy all the time. But I was so afraid of losing you, because I knew things were changing. Even now, I look into your eyes and it's no longer love I see."_

_Jellal held her gaze, reciting the next words with her. _

"_It's disappointment."_

Silence descended the family again, finding themselves at a loss of words. Although this was all history, they were shaken. Even though this had happened years ago and was no longer a problem, they were deeply affected by it. It ran through their core, hitting them deep like continuous punches to the gut.

Jude swallowed and dared to look at his father's face. He wished he hadn't. "T-Then what?"

Jellal frowned at the question. "I began to hate her. I hated her for what she became."

_He looked away from her, no longer able to bear the sight of her anymore. "I hate you," he spat out bitterly, the words acting as a drive. He could feel his anger growing and he allowed it to blind him. "You… You're the reason she's like this and you wish I hadn't met her? Are you out of your mind?!"_

"_I'm sorry! I—"_

"_Your poor excuse of a sorry won't ever make up for all the pain you've caused her!" he cried out, turning back towards her with a steely gaze. "She told me to tell you she was sorry, but you don't deserve any of that! You don't deserve her kindness. You were selfish! You weren't you!"_

"_Shut up!" she screamed, covering her ears. He didn't realize he was standing now, shadowing over her trembling form like a monster. She was crying even louder and people were starting to whisper, looking at him with disbelief and fury. But he didn't really care anymore._

"_You did this to her! You broke her!" he told her over and over, repeating this until his words scarred her while his insides twisted with rage. "You made her this way! You tore her apart! You broke her!"_

"_Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!" she continued to shriek, trying to block out his words, trying to hide from her shame. _

_Jellal was crying now, out of anger and out of sorrow. He fell to his knees and he clutched his head, screaming out his wrath. He heard Lucy's laugh, which was so unfamiliar to him now, and it fed his anger even more._

"_You broke her," he whispered hoarsely, exhausted. "This is all your fault…"_

Jellal smiled grimly and shrugged. "I was pretty harsh back then, but hey, I was mad, I was furious. I just needed to release it all."

"I kind of… feel the same towards aunt now," Gerald muttered, looking away. "Sorry."

"No, it's okay," the father said, chuckling. "But you best let it go now. That was ages ago and I've already forgiven her. It's normal to feel angry for what happened in the past, but what's done is done. Now all that's left to do is finish the story."

"It's about to end?" Kaiya asked quietly, tears gathering in the corner of her eyes.

Jellal nodded, smiling apologetically. He ushered her to walk over to him and she did, crawling on top of his lap. She gave him a hug and he hugged her back, sighing in her hair. "Don't worry, the next part is lighter now. Still a bit hard to swallow, but definitely not like what happened with Erza."

Kaiya leaned back and looked up at him, blinking widely.

"Then let's hear it!"

They eyed Layla who grinned, leaning against Jude. "I mean, it's about to end and I can't wait to hear what happens next so the show must go on!"

Kaiya turned to him again and nodded slightly. "Please?"

He smiled. "Of course."

_After releasing all of his frustration, he left to search for Lucy. He searched for days which stretched out to weeks. He didn't find her. He was already losing himself from all of this madness and he didn't know what to do. He needed her as much as she needed him because he felt the same way._

_The only thing left was to let her know._

_He didn't find her until four months later. He visited Magnolia like usual, hoping that Lucy would show up. And he stayed until the next day, wondering if staying longer would be worth it. And to his surprise, it was._

"…_Jellal?"_

_There she was, standing by the river. The circles around her eyes were slowly staring to go away now, and her skin was starting to redeem its color. Her lips were no longer cracked and dry, but soft like before. She looked at him with wonder, her feet deep into the water. _

_He staggered towards her and fell to his knees, holding her face in his hands. He brought her closer, staring deep into her eyes. "Is it really you?" he whispered, fearing that if he raised his voice he'd wake up and realize it was just a dream._

_She had a hard time moving her head with how tight he was holding her, so she managed to mumble a small yes. He released a breath he didn't know he was holding and encased her in his arms, dissolving into a mess of sobs and words. He held her against him, worried that if he let go, she'd disappear forever. But she too had her arms around him and was snuggling her face in the crook of neck. He could feel her breath against his skin and it sent shudders down his spine._

"_I missed you so much," he told her, his tears slurring his words slightly. "I didn't know where to find you. I looked e-everywhere for you but I never found you."_

_Lucy sighed and started to run her fingers through his blue locks. "Of course you didn't find me. I was nowhere on this earthly plane," she said, her voice lightly laced with mirth._

"_Where were you then?"_

"_With my spirits," she mumbled, acting as if it wasn't a big deal. "I stayed there for a few days I think, and I guess a day there really is a month here. Sorry, I didn't know I was causing everyone so much pain. If I knew that, I wouldn't have—"_

"_Fallen for me?"_

_She fell silent, her hands stopping. For a moment she was quiet, then she released another sigh and nodded. "Yes, that. I could have stopped myself but I didn't and I'm sorry."_

_Jellal pulled back and held her at arm's length, locking his eyes with hers. He shook his head. "You can't just tell yourself to stop loving someone. It's not done like that. You can't just tell yourself to stop loving someone. It's impossible."_

"_I know that," she muttered under her breath. "But I should have done something."_

_He exhaled and slumped forward, his forehead falling on her shoulder. "You don't get it, do you?" he whispered tiredly. He felt like all of his energy drained away. _

"_Don't get what?"_

"_Me," he rasped out, trying not to scream again in frustration. "Lucy, I fell for you too."_

_There was silence, and then a sniff. "And I'm still falling. You're a black hole, Lucy. You sucked me in and now I can't see the end. But at the same time, I can't escape you. I can't get out. I can't leave. I'm stuck inside you."_

_Even with his head on her shoulder, she felt warm. And he realized she was blushing. His lips twitched. "So don't you ever disappear from my life ever again or else I will break, just like how you broke."_

_He felt her tense up and at that moment, he knew she was retreating into herself once again. He leaned back and held her chin, lifting her head so that he could stare into her eyes. He attempted to smile. "I know you're broken, but that's okay. I can fix you. I will fix you. I won't abandon you. I won't ever leave you. I will fix you, so please don't leave me."_

"_I… I don't know."_

"_Please," he begged her, pulling her closer until their foreheads were touching. "I need you. I'll die if you leave me. I don't know what happened or how I started to feel this way, but things changed. And if you leave me now, I won't be able to live with myself. I will die inside, Lucy. So please… please stay with me."_

_She looked up at him, her eyes full of fear and innocence. "You promise you'll never leave me like Natsu?"_

"_Promise."_

_She bit her lip. "You'll… fix me?"_

"_Of course," he breathed out, trying his hardest not to kiss her. He closed his eyes. "We'll fix everything, and then we'll move on. Okay?"_

_She nodded in confirmation and then she closed the space between them. It was a chaste kiss. It was quick and simple. But to him, it was the best kiss he's ever had._

* * *

**A/N:** Finally, the hard part is done! I'm sorry if I was harsh on Erza, she's a tough character, but I think with a little pressure she really would have done all of that. And Jellal really would have screamed at her, so sorry if you hate me now. But they're all good friends again in the present timeline so don't you worry about that! There will be one more chapter, about their reaction to the ending and probably when Jude was first born or something. And then Lucy will come home so yeah.

Wow, this chapter was pretty long. Such a shame I wasn't able to get it beta read. I hope the mistakes you found didn't bother you much, I feel bad. If you're confused about Erza and Lucy, I'll explain. So Lucy isolated herself in hope to forget about Jellal, and then three months later she returns. But then she knows that Erza knows what she feels and she realizes that they were going to have to fight, not physically. And then Erza tells her to leave them alone and she does. Erza regrets it, but then by that time it's too late. Two years later, Lucy's come back and here's a secret, she was actually supposed to commit suicide, but the sight of Jellal so worried and there stopped her, so yay for that.

Erza means no harm, but she loves Jellal and you know love... it makes you do the unthinkable. So there you have it! I hope you liked the chapter and if you did, if you have any violent reactions, if you want me to write the next chapter and post it, then review!

Oh and like my page. The link is on my profile.

_"Depression is living in a body that fights to survive with a mind that tries to die."_

_Byee! -Anne :D_

* * *

_\- Please support/read my other stories: **Celebrity Issues, The Devil and the Assassin, Fragile, Life's Challenges, Forgotten Memories, Queen of Stars, A Love That Lasts Forever **and **Going Against The Current.**_


	5. The Love Story SPECIAL

**The Family of Eight**

**The Love Story SPECIAL**

**WARNING:** This chapter was not beta read; I merely proofread this.

**DISCLAIMER:** _I do not own Fairy Tail, Hiro Mashima does._

* * *

Jellal laughed and leaned back on his armrest, grinning broadly. He was long past the sad memories of his life, and now he was about to tell the best thing that ever happened to him, which was the first among the next that came. "We had been dating for months then, and I finally decided to propose," he told his children happily. He sounded giddy, like a child in a candy store.

"How did you propose?" Layla asked quickly. She was always one for sappy romance—she wasn't going to let this story pass. "Did you do it on your own?"

Jellal furrowed his eyebrows. "What? No, of course not. She was my second love, and I had no parents so I didn't know what the hell I was supposed to do. I never considered marrying Erza before so I had a big problem. I just knew that I needed a ring, and that I did have, but I didn't know what to do about the setting and the place and how to make it really special."

Meiko guffawed and leaned against his twin, clutching his stomach. "That's so lame, dad!"

"I think it's sweet," Kaiya, Layla and Reina simultaneously said, sighing dreamily.

Gerald wrinkled his nose. "Ugh, no more, please."

"You can always leave the room if you don't want to hear the story, Gerald," Jellal offered kindly, smiling down at his son.

The youngest of the boys crossed his arms over his chest and looked away, huffing. "I'll just stay. I don't have anything else to do anyway," he muttered forcefully under his breath.

Jellal's eyes softened at this. He knew that Gerald was a prideful boy and was too mature for his age, but he was glad that he still wanted to listen to his stories. He didn't want his son to grow up with such a sour look on his face forever after all.

"Who did you ask for help if you didn't know what to do then?"

He looked at Jude who was sitting cross-legged on the carpeted floor, casually leaning against the sofa. He tried to recall the events that happened and when he did, he laughed. "You won't believe I actually asked them when I could just ask someone else, but I felt it was appropriate."

"Who did you ask?!" Layla asked loudly, close to squealing.

He rolled his eyes and clasped his hands together in front of him, his elbows rested on the armrests. "That is for you to find out later, not now." His eyes danced with mirth.

"But why?" Meiko and Reina whined. They turned to each other and glared hard.

"Stop copying me!"

"That's my line!"

"Ugh! Just accept the fact that you like me so much to the point that you copy almost everything I say, Meiko!"

He made gagging sounds. "The thoughts makes me want to vomit forever!"

"That's disgusting!"

"Well, then so are you!"

Kaiya giggled and looked up at Gerald. "How long do you think this will last?"

"Not for long," he mused, his lips finally twitching into a small smile. "I'm sure father will begin storytelling soon."

"I think so too," she whispered to him, feeling like this was a big secret. His smile widened and he ruffled her hair. Whenever Kaiya wanted to lean against him, he would always scoot away from her, claiming that he was a big boy and that she was too much of a baby for his "cool character". But just now, when she decided to try leaning against him once more, he didn't reject her. Instead, he laid his head on top of hers and sighed in satisfaction.

Jellal saw the whole moment and smiled—he was right. Gerald would eventually give up his cold demeanor. "Alright, let's begin," he declared, clearing his throat to catch the attention of the bickering twins and the rest of his children. He wished Lucy was here. Nevertheless, he smiled wryly and started speaking. "I realized I really wanted to be with her forever by the time February rolled in. We were having lunch and we were talking about how faithful her spirits were to her. And then she said…"

"_I think it's because I treat them more like humans than spirits," she told him, shrugging. "I mean, they have a right to be treated that way—they aren't mortal, but they do have feelings."_

_He leaned his cheek against the back of his hand and stared into her eyes. They were the same shade as always: a beautiful chocolate color. He never got tired of getting lost in them and it was his favorite pastime. "I think it's because you're pretty," he said with a chuckle._

_She flushed and looked away, puffing her cheeks. "There you go again… you're so…"_

"_So what?"_

"_Corny," she finished lamely, blowing her bangs out of her face. "Always corny." She sounded like she didn't care, but the blush on her cheeks betrayed her._

_He grinned widely. "Not really. I just like appreciating the beautiful things in my life."_

"_I am not a thing, Jellal," she said dryly. _

"_Point taken."_

"_But I am yours."_

_He blinked and cocked his head to the side, trying to catch her gaze once more. But she was avoiding him like the plague. He laughed softly and caressed her cheek with his free hand. "After all this time, you're still so shy around me," he mused, his thumb stopping over her lower lip. He tucked her hair behind her ear. "Why is that?"_

_She was quiet. "I still feel embarrassed about the fact that I stole you from Erza." She finally looked at him, her eyes flicking upwards to meet his. She looked sad again._

_He sighed and formed a fist with his hand, tapping her on the crown of her head softly. He clicked his tongue. "Now, now, it wasn't intentional. It was my decision to leave her, so don't tell me it's your fault. I've said this before and I'll say it again—"_

"_You are mine and I am yours, and that's all that matters," she said in sync with him, smiling bashfully. True, she was still shy, but she was happier now. Especially since Jellal loved her so much. He got irritating and whiny sometimes, but she was exactly like that on some days too so why bother?_

_He laughed and leaned over the table – it was annoyingly difficult – and placed a soft peck on her lips. She closed her eyes just in time. She could feel his smile for a split second before he finally pulled back, standing up. "I have to be somewhere," he lied, offering her his hand. "Let me walk you home."_

_Her lips curled downwards in confusion. Still she took his hand and allowed him to pull her to her feet. She tangled her fingers with his and walked out of the building, handing the money to a waiter they passed by. She hummed and started swinging their hands. "Where are you going?"_

"_It's a secret."_

"So, I then dropped her home," Jellal said, his lips slowly stretching into a smile. "And while I was on the road, I was thinking. A lot."

Layla's grin was still as wide as ever. "Okay, what were you thinking about?"

"Well…"

_He knew he had to do it eventually, but he didn't think it would be anytime soon. But just earlier, when they were speaking, he felt it. The need to be with her forever. The need to go down on one knee and take her hand. It was bursting excitedly inside him, like a flower ready to sprout. But he wasn't exactly ready yet. He didn't know what to do._

_Who was he supposed to ask advice from? He didn't have any family members left, Meredy was gone on a mission and Lucy was… well, he definitely couldn't ask her. To sum it all up, he was in a huge dilemma (and an embarrassing one at that). How could he not know how to propose?_

_He groaned very loudly. This was one of the reasons why he wished he had a brotherly figure, or a fatherly one to ask advice from. He could read books, but that was very stupid. And not to mention humiliating. Who would even read a book just to know how to propose anyway?_

"Yeah! Who would?" Meiko said, rolling his eyes. "That's, like, the king of the uncool."

Jellal visibly winced, his pride hurt. "Well… I was seriously considering it…"

"Oh no you didn't!" they all shouted at once, their faces masked with incredulity and shock.

"I didn't read the book—"

They all sighed in relief.

"—but I bought one."

"You WHAT?"

Jellal laughed nervously, rubbing the back of his neck. "Well, I was clearly inexperienced, and they all say that the books know everything."

"The books do not know _everything_, father," Layla deadpanned, sighing. "The books know the basics of proposing, but all the unique proposals and whatnot will never be found there."

"Yes, yes, I know. I realized that as soon as I got home with the book in hand. I actually still have it," he said with a sheepish smile.

The looks on their faces were deadly. "BURN IT."

"Okay? Anyway, where were we?" He hummed and cupped his chin in thought. "Ah yes, I bought the book, got home, and regretted it and then…"

"_Jellal!"_

_He turned around and saw Wendy, who he remembered as a child but was now a teenager, running towards him with enthusiasm. He blinked once and rushed forward when she tripped (like always). He steadied her and smiled wryly. He managed to catch her just in time._

_He patted her head. "Be careful next time," he said coolly, chuckling. _

_She flushed and nodded. "Sorry, Jellal-san, but I just really wanted to know something."_

"_Hm? And what would that be?"_

"_When will you propose to Lucy-san?"_

_He stumbled backwards in surprise and made a sound that was close to a squeak and a gasp. He covered his mouth with the back of his hand. "W-W-What made you a-a-ask that?"_

_She tilted her head to the side. "I just wanted to know. Why?"_

_He pressed his lips together and let his hand drop. He was the one blushing now. "Actually… I'm planning on proposing soon."_

_She grinned so wide he thought her face would break. "Really?! Then what are you waiting for?!"_

"_Well," he paused, unsure how to continue this. "I just…"_

"_You just what?"_

"_I don't know how to," he breathed out, like it was a very hard thing to admit._

"Of course that would be hard to admit!" Layla exploded, grumbling under her breath. "Who in the world didn't know how to propose anyway?"

"Father."

She made a dramatic sound. "Of course." She buried her face in her hands. "You may continue now."

_She was staring at him like he had grown two more heads. "What do you mean you don't know how?" she asked, blinking her eyes in confusion._

_He raked his fingers through his hair in frustration. How was he supposed to explain this to Wendy? "I know I need to go down on one knee and you know, bring out the ring," he started slowly, trying not to explode into fireworks and just die. "But I don't know how to make it special."_

"_But, Jellal-san…"_

_He looked at the girl in front of him and frowned. She was smiling. "You don't have to make it special. Just proposing with a ring will make Lucy-san very, very, very happy."_

"_I know that." He really did. "But I want to make her feel like the luckiest girl in the world, to be proposed unlike any other proposal. I want to make her feel special. I want her to feel like she's soaring through the sky. And yes, a normal proposal will be enough to make her happy, but I don't like thinking that that would be enough. I want to exceed her expectations. I want to exceed my own abilities."_

_He sucked in a deep breath. "I don't want to be satisfied with just that, but for something more. Something she'll remember forever."_

_Wendy just looked at him, awed and dumbfounded. And he looked back at her to witness her expression. It made him smile. "Will you help me figure this thing out, Wendy?"_

_She giggled. "Sure, Jellal-san. But we will also need the help of others."_

"_Who?" he asked, confused. He hadn't thought he needed more than one person. And even if they needed more, who else were they going to ask help from?_

"_Fairy Tail!"_

"WHAT?!"

Jellal jumped in surprise. He wasn't expecting to be interrupted so quickly. He sighed and then smiled softly, watching his children complain.

"You cannot be serious," Gerald said, his voice laced in disbelief.

"Oh, but I am."

"Out of all the people in the world, why them?" Reina interjected, pulling the ends of her hair.

The father chuckled. "Think. Who else to ask but her family? They knew more about her than I did during that time, so I wasn't really thinking about the consequences."

"They're idiots though," Jude said grimly.

"Not all of them!" Kaiya objected, huffing. "Aunt Wendy is really nice and smart!"

Reina's mouth split into a grin. "And don't forget Aunt Levy! She's really cool! But of course, mother's the best!"

"Aye!"

He shook his head while smiling. "Okay, let's continue."

_He couldn't believe his ears. Fairy Tail? The guild that was always the number one problem of the Magic Council? The guild that always managed to reach the top, no matter what happened? He didn't really know what to think of this. But Wendy was nice enough to give him all the help he needed and he didn't want to put that kindness aside. So, rather than fearing for his life, he hoped for a successful plan._

_They began walking towards the guild. It was quite a long walk, since he was too busy trying not to panic. What if they end up not helping? He was the reason why Erza and Lucy got hurt after all. Would they even be willing to help him?_

_Although he was on good terms with them now, especially since Erza had managed to fall in love with someone they didn't know, he was still a bit guilty. Fairy Tail was nice to him though, and they always invited him to the late night parties they had monthly so he didn't know why he was so nervous. Perhaps it was because he was going to be asking them how to ask Lucy to marry him and he didn't know how._

_He could already hear their laughter ringing through his head._

_He suddenly heard a giggle. He turned to Wendy and frowned. "What?"_

"_You look so worried," she commented, smiling. "Fairy Tail will help you out—stop pondering over the past. We're all over it."_

_Jellal suddenly felt very tired. He didn't try to show his distress whenever he was with Lucy or with anyone else, but when he was alone, he could still feel the weight of his actions pressing on him, like a disease he could never get rid of. But now he could feel the tension easing off his shoulders. He felt free and refreshed unlike before. _

"_Thank you, Wendy," he breathed out._

"_You're welcome, Jellal-san."_

_A few minutes later, they finally arrived at the guild. The building was still as big as ever, the doors so big he had to push them with a lot of force. They entered and saw that everyone looked bored. Wendy raised a hand and smiled. "Good afternoon, everyone!"_

_They sounded discouraged. "Good afternoon, Wendy, Jellal."_

_The said girl blinked and looked at her companion. He shrugged and gestured her to follow him to the counter. They went there and was greeted by Mira. He smiled. "Good afternoon, Mira."_

"_What's wrong with everyone? Why is everyone so gloomy?" Wendy asked, pouting. She never liked it when people were sad, thus the reason why she wanted to help Jellal with his dilemma._

"_Everyone's just bored," Mira said with a giggle, wiping the counter with a clean cloth. "Nothing fun has happened yet today. Natsu's looking for Gray but they've been bypassing each other since morning. Gray would look for Natsu here while Natsu would be looking for Gray outside and vice versa. There have been no fights so they're all looking for something fun to do."_

_Wendy's grin was blinding. "We have something to do!"_

_Mira tilted her head to the side. "What would that be?"_

"_Jellal-san is planning on proposing to Lucy-san!" she announced, jumping on the balls of her feet. The people in the guild perked up and grinned just as wide as hers, whistling and shouting their wishes._

_Jellal sighed and hung his head in shame. "But I… want to make it special and I don't know how to."_

_Wendy nodded sadly then beamed. "That's why we're here to ask help from Fairy Tail!"_

_Mira blinked and touched the side of her cheek. "Oh my."_

_Suddenly, the whole guild was laughing. Out of his problem or because they were released of their boredom, he didn't know. But moments later, they found themselves seated in the center of the building with the other members sat around them. They were grinning mischievously._

_He feared for his life._

"You should be!" his children exclaimed, startling the father.

He rolled his eyes and waved his hand. "Can you please just wait for me to finish the story and stop interrupting?"

"We'll try."

He sighed. "That's better than what I was expecting so… anyway."

"_So, you've come to us to ask how to make this proposal special, eh?" Cana said from her seat on one of the tables, a barrel of booze in her hand. _

_Jellal smiled nervously. "Yeah… I guess that sums it all up."_

"_Then you've come to the right place!" they all shouted, laughing._

"_Someone pass over the beer! Let's have a nice discussion!"_

"_No drinking!"_

"_Who said that?!"_

"_N-NO ONE!"_

"_Good! Mira, the beer!"_

"_Yes, yes."_

_Jellal felt his sleeve being tugged by someone and he looked behind her to see Lisanna. She looked at him apologetically. "I'm sorry about this. They're good at giving surprises though, so this should be easy for them."_

"_I hope so," he said with a wavering smile. "It's okay. I'm the one who's asking for help anyway. They can drink all they want."_

"_Who said what?!" Natsu suddenly shouted, barging through the door. Everyone greeted him and he grinned. "I heard something about a surprise! What's going on?"_

"_Natsu! You've come at the right time! Jellal needs help with surprising Lucy!"_

_He blinked and walked over to Erza who nodded at him. He shuddered as soon as he saw the stars in her eyes. "O-Okay… What's this surprise all about?" He looked at Erza. "Why do you look so happy?"_

"_He's planning on proposing!" Lisanna informed him, giggling._

"_Proposing?" Natsu asked, scratching the top of his head. "What's that?"_

_A bottle of beer was thrown to his head. "IDIOT!" _

_Natsu roared fire. "WHO DID THAT?! DIRTY BASTARD!"_

"_Sit down, Natsu," the redhead beside him ordered darkly, her slice of strawberry cheesecake in hand. _

_He sat down trembling. "A-Aye sir!" _

"_Good."_

_Gajeel cackled evilly behind Levy who could only muster a nervous laugh. He nudged the ice mage beside him who was too busy laughing. He struggled to stop laughing. "O-Oi, flame breath!" Gray called, grinning just as slyly. "What he means by proposing, is that he's going to ask Lucy to be his wife! I knew an idiot like you would need a deeper explanation so, Gajeel, please."_

_He smirked. "That means Jellal will go down on one knew, bring out a ring, and then ask bunny-girl—"_

"_I KNOW THAT PART! I'm not an idiot!" He interrupted, growling._

_The men in the guild could only snicker while the drinks were being passed around. Mira handed Jellal one and he declined it. "Are you sure?" she asked with a frown. "We'll be up till morning."_

"_It's okay," he assured, chuckling. "I won't be able to remember their suggestions if I'm not sober."_

_Mira giggled. "Good thinking. Well then, as soon as everyone has a drink, the discussion will start."_

_He bowed his head. "Thank you for helping me."_

"_Oh my, this is nothing." With that said, she smiled at him and then left to tend the other members. He raked a hand through his hair. He was nervous. What if they just ended up drinking all night? What would happen to him in the hands of Fairy Tail?"_

"_You look like you're shitting your pants," Max said, a crooked grin on his face. "Don't worry. We'll help you. This is just our way of hyping things up."_

_He could only smile. "I know."_

_Exactly five minutes later, the guild settled down. There were a few words passed over, shouts and laughter, but they were getting serious—and a little bit sentimental. It was Erza who first spoke. "Do you know when you'll exactly propose?"_

"_I was thinking it'd be on Valentine's Day, since she would be expecting flowers and chocolates, not a ring," he said nervously. Was it the right decision? To do it on the 14th of February? Or should he do it on another day? And was it okay to be talking about this with Erza? He knew things weren't back to normal with them yet, but she looked better now, just eating her cake like nothing happened before. It made him relax just knowing that she wasn't mad at him anymore._

"_That's actually a great idea," Mira said, smiling widely. She was holding her cheeks and was clearly trying not to squeal. "It sounds very dreamy."_

"_I agree," Levy said with a giggle. "Lu-chan would love it very much."_

"_Meh. I think it's sappy and corny," Gajeel huffed, crossing his arms over his chest. He had a look of incredulity on his face, like he wasn't expecting the ex-criminal to be a hopeless romantic._

"_Really? Then when should he do it?"_

"_A man would propose right now!" Elfman suddenly said, roaring._

_Jellal smiled apologetically. "Sorry, I'd love to but I don't have a ring yet."_

"_WHAT?! ARE YOU SERIOUS?"_

_He laughed. "I am."_

"_No!" the women gasped in horror. The men were all looking at him with pity._

"_I mean I didn't get it yet," he quickly added. "I asked for a custom made ring, so that only she would have it, and I didn't pick it up yet."_

_Lisanna sighed in relief, placing a hand over her heart. "Good. I thought you had no ring at all." She then gave him a thumbs up. "That sounds even better, by the way. Lucy likes being treated like she's special."_

"_Sounds pretty stupid."_

"_Gajeel!"_

_Jellal turned to the metal dragon slayer with a frown. "Please stop insulting her. You sound like a pathetic lovesick fool."_

_Gajeel gritted his teeth. "What did you just say?"_

"_Oh my god, no, please, stop," Levy said, covering her ears. "Gajeel, if you as much stand up from your seat or attack him, I will never talk to you again!"_

_His jaw dropped. "That's evil!"_

"_I know. Now apologize."_

"_What the fuck?"_

_Jellal smiled in amusement and waited patiently for the man to finish whining. After a while, he faced the bluenette and begrudgingly said, "Sorry."_

"_Heh. Submissive?"_

"_Shut up."_

"_He actually is," Levy said, giggling._

"Thanks father for giving me a reason to tease Uncle Gajeel," Gerald said, sporting a small sly smile.

"I second that."

"Me too."

Jellal sighed and cleared his throat. "You're welcome. Now, moving on…"

_The dragon slayer glared at her. "Shorty… shut up."_

"_Okay, okay."_

"_That's so fucking embarrassing!" Natsu exclaimed. He was laughing uncontrollably, tears gathering in the corner of his eyes. Gray was enjoying this as well, and he was laughing just as loud._

"_You are such a—"_

_Erza slammed a fist on the table. "Let's please not stray from the main topic, Natsu, Gray, Gajeel."_

"_A-Aye."_

_Cana rolled her eyes and hiccupped. "You guys are such pussies. Anyway, Jellal," she turned to the said man. "Lucy would be happy with a simple proposal. She knows you love her."_

"_I already told him that, Cana-san," Wendy piped up, smiling. "He would never be satisfied with just something simple since this is Lucy-san we are talking about."_

"_Yeah!" Levy said, grinning. "If it's Lu-chan, he'll go to big lengths just to make her happy."_

"_Jellal is a real man!" Elfman shouted, raising his arms._

_Natsu and Gray covered their mouths, snickering. "And a sappy one at that."_

"_He just loves her a lot," Wendy said while blushing. She had always envied the gazes they always gave each other, wishing that she too could experience such love. Almost everyone in Fairy Tail longed for a relationship like theirs. It was too perfect._

"_Well," Macao said and rubbed his chin. "I just know you should do it at night, where she can see the constellations and such."_

_Lisanna gasped. "Sweet Mavis, that's perfect!"_

"_Juvia agrees," the rain woman said, speaking for the first time since the discussion started. It seemed that she was fantasizing about Gray again._

_Jellal pressed his lips together. "So I have to bring her to someplace where we can stargaze?"_

"_Yeah, I guess that could work."_

"_Where?"_

"_The park is a perfect place for stargazing," Bisca said, smiling bashfully. "Alzack and I have tried it before."_

_The said man grinned. "Lucy will surely love it."_

_Jellal frowned and absentmindedly cracked his knuckles, deep in thought. Was that really a good place? Wouldn't there be other people present as well? Wouldn't that just ruin the scene? Or was he just thinking too much?_

"_What? You don't like it?" Carla asked, appearing out of under a table._

"_You scared me."_

"_Really? It wasn't obvious."_

"_I see."_

_Gajeel looked at the two rivals. "What the fuck is wrong with them? Are they robots or something?"_

"_Hopefully not," the ice mage said weakly, flinching. "That would make him immortal and impossible to kill."_

"_He's skeptic because it's Carla, not Lucy, idiots," Levy muttered under her breath, sighing dramatically. "I honestly don't understand how I ever fell for you."_

_Natsu burst out laughing, tears already streaming from his eyes. "She doesn't know!"_

_Gray guffawed and slammed his beer on the table, the drink splattering everywhere. He couldn't stop laughing. "If you want a friend to talk to," he paused and snickered, throwing him a bottle of beer. "You can have this!"_

_Gajeel caught it and chugged the contents. "You're lucky you gave me a drink or else I'd have already framed your body to a wall."_

"_That sounds erotic!" the ice mage said while gasping for air._

"_Can't you three shut up?! There are children here!"_

"_Aw please, Wendy's old enough, right Wendy?"_

"_U-Um… W-W-What d-d-do you m-mean?"_

"_Crap."_

_Jellal sighed and buried his face in his hands. "This is hopeless."_

"Wait, you're giving up now?!" Layla screeched, pulling her hair.

Gerald rolled his eyes. "Just to remind you, we wouldn't be here if he gave up."

"Oh, right."

He breathed out. "Idiot."

"I heard that."

_Mira's lips tugged upwards and she placed a hand on his back in reassurance. "Don't lose hope, Jellal-kun. I know for sure that whatever we end up with, Lucy will love it and she will surely say yes."_

"_Really?" he asked quietly. He sounded like he really was planning on giving up. What was a man to do if the woman he loved said no? Give up? Find someone else? Or try again?_

_He heard someone suck in a deep breath. "Look, bunny girl is easy to please. We'll go with the stargazing plan, but I don't think the park is a good idea."_

"_Then where should they go?" Cana slurred, hiccupping afterwards. She tossed the empty barrel behind her, which hit someone's head—_

"_THAT HURT!"_

—_and grabbed another one from Mira who offered it to her with a giggle. "I suggest the greenhouse behind Fairy Hills."_

"_Oh my, that's the perfect place!"_

"_You should definitely take her there."_

"_Yes! You should!"_

_Jellal laughed nervously. "I'm sorry if I'm rude, but why a greenhouse? I thought we were supposed to be stargazing."_

_All the women in the guild grinned widely. "Exactly!"_

"_The greenhouse can transform, you know. The roofs fold when midnight strikes and then you'll see the most gorgeous view of the stars. I promise you, it's the perfect place." Bisca tried not to squeal in anticipation while she was explaining, but now that she was done, she couldn't stop herself. Together with Levy, they jumped up and down, already hoping for the day of the proposal to come._

"_But I thought men weren't allowed to go in Fairy Hills?" Macao asked, raising a brow. _

"_Oh, that." Cana rolled her eyes and waved her hand his way. "We'll deal with Ruchio. But don't you worry about getting in, Jellal."_

_The said man chuckled and nodded. "Alright. Can I have a group play a song while I propose?"_

_Gajeel grinned widely. "Sure. I will be enough—"_

"_Please ignore him," Erza said, her hand clamped tightly over the dragon slayer's mouth. "I believe we should have Mira and the rest handle that part. Just… not him."_

_Natsu cackled evilly. "If you don't want Lucy's ears to bleed, you should trust Erza's judgement."_

_Gajeel pushed the hand covering his mouth away, sneering. "Wow, such big words for an idiot."_

"_What did you just say?!"_

_They ignored him. "What time will we do this thing?" Cana hiccupped, blinking the stars out of her eyes._

_Jellal smiled. "Just before midnight. That would be on the 13__th__ of February. By the time midnight strikes and it's Valentine's, I'll propose and you guys play. Is that fine with you guys?"_

"_Hell yeah!"_

"_Of course it is."_

"_We're going to be the one to dress Lucy-chan like always."_

"_Hey, hey, don't forget to zip your mouths you bastards. If any of these plans reach her ears…"_

"_You will face me," Erza growled, glaring at any of the members who she thought were deemed suspicious._

_A small smile stretched Mira's lips. "And me."_

"_A-Aye…"_

_Cana snickered loudly and moved to stand on top of a table. "Bets are now open!"_

"_20,000 Jewels say that this will all go wrong!"_

"_25,000 Jewels say that this plan will be a success!"_

"_30,000 Jewels on Natsu ruining it halfway!"_

"_What the hell?"_

"_50,000 that Erza will be there to see it!"_

"_100,000 that Natsu will end up in the infirmary!"_

"_Why the hell are the bets all about me?!"_

"_120,000 Jewels that Lucy will say yes!"_

"_HEY! THAT'S NOT FAIR!"_

"_Okay, okay, 120,000 Jewels that Lucy will kiss him before saying yes."_

"_Nu-uh, 130,000 that Jellal will kiss her first!"_

"_150,000 Jewels that they will both kiss each other at the same time!"_

"_160,000 says that they won't kiss each other at all. Just stare with love."_

"_200,000 Jewels that Lu-chan will cry!"_

"_Levy?! You're participating too?"_

_Cana laughed wildly, clapping her hands in excitement. "I don't even know what the bets are all about anymore but who cares? I'm going to be rich!"_

_Jellal rubbed the back of his neck, shuddering. "I'll have to make sure I do none of the things they are betting on."_

_Gajeel cackled and slapped him on the back. "That's impossible! This is Fairy Tail, you can't escape us!"_

"_Agreed!" the whole guild cheered, laughing._

"_Oi, Squinty Eyes, stupid says what!"_

"_What?!"_

"_I can't believe you fell for that!"_

"_What the hell are you laughing at? What's so funny?"_

"_Your face!"_

"_Ice Princess!"_

"_Scaly Dufus!"_

"_Hey! That's new—what the hell?! I'm not scaly, you exhibitionist!"_

"_Yes, you are scaly, Flame Breath!"_

"_Are you asking for a fight?!"_

"_I only fight strong people, not weak pink-haired idiots like you!"_

"_It's SALMON!"_

"_Ah, your hair's a fish."_

"_That's it! You're going down!" Natsu roared, his fists flaming._

"_Bring it on, pinky!" Gray said with a grin, moving his hands in position._

"As usual, they started a fight and everyone joined in. Erza even managed to beat them all because someone spilled her cake, which I admit I never did in fear of the consequences," Jellal said, shrugging. The memories were spilling out now, slowly and surely. He really wished Lucy was here. "We stayed up until morning."

"Did you drink?"

"What? No. I was the only one sober when the sun rose. Well, aside from Wendy and a few other people. Everyone else passed out."

Kaiya giggled, snuggling into Gerald who said, "That's Fairy Tail for you."

"Agreed," Jude said, smiling at the sight of his siblings. He was glad that Gerald was slowly starting to open up. It was a small change, but it was better than nothing at all.

"What happened next?"

"Well…" the father paused, looking at the ceiling to think. "We tried not to let the surprise slip out. It was hard enough for Natsu who practically kept talking about it, but that part is boring so I won't tell it anymore. But we did succeed. She had no idea what was coming."

"So… what's left is the big day?"

"Yeah," Jellal said, grinning. "That's where I'll start now. So, it was February 13, there were already hearts everywhere and couples were wandering the streets. We were among the crowd, talking. The girls at the guild really did prep her. She was… amazing."

"_Why are you so quiet?" Lucy asked, raising a brow._

_Jellal flushed and covered his face with a hand, smiling discreetly. "Sorry. I was just… I…" he licked his lips nervously and dropped his hand, beaming at her. "You look beautiful."_

_She blinked then lowered her gaze to the ground, a lovely shade of pink dusting her cheeks. She bit her lip and blew her bangs out of her eyes. A long time ago, she would have wanted to dress up nicely for any kind of date because she rarely had dates. But when Mira asked her if she wanted to get ready, she suddenly wanted to just dress in anything comfortable, in any style, because she was going with Jellal, and Jellal was someone who appreciated her either way._

_But in the end, they managed to convince her and here she was now, her hair in waves down her back and her lips glossed pink. She opted for a light blue dress with a modest neckline that ended just above her knees and silver flats, just because she didn't want to walk around in heels. She rejected the offer of eye shadow and mascara so her eyes were bare. She liked them better that way._

_Releasing a shaky breath, she dared herself to look back into his eyes and she did. "T-Thank you," she stuttered, smiling weakly._

_He beamed and nodded, moving to tangle her fingers with his. "I don't suppose you mind going somewhere else for dinner this time," he said, a little bit nervous. The case in his pocket felt heavy. He knew it was demanding for attention. It wanted to be revealed, but he wasn't ready for that yet._

"_I don't mind," she told him, starting to walk in step with the other couples. "As long as I'm with you, it doesn't matter where it is."_

"_Even when it's in a dark, dirty and scary alley?"_

_She laughed. "Even when it's in a dark, dirty and scary alley."_

_He grinned and brought their clasped hands to his lips, kissing the top of her knuckles softly. He chuckled. "Promise me you won't cry or scream later."_

_She furrowed her eyebrows. "Why would I cry?"_

"_Just promise me."_

_She went silent and her gaze turned distant. It was obvious that she was deep in thought. He sighed and squeezed her hand. "Lucy, do you trust me?"_

_Her reply was quick. "Yes."_

"_Then trust my word that I will do nothing to hurt you and promise me that you won't scream or cry later," he breathed, close to hyperventilating. He was really anxious. It was only a few hours before midnight and he didn't even know if the plan would go well. However, the show must go on._

_It took several seconds before she finally gave in, closing her eyes and nodding. "I promise I won't scream or cry later," she assured. Her eyes fluttered open and she melted at the sight of his relieved smile. _

"_Good. Now, shall we?"_

_She giggled and began to swing their linked hands back and forth. "Let's go."_

_The walk around Magnolia was nerve-wracking. He was silently praying for the plan to succeed. And at the same time, he was hoping that Lucy hadn't noticed his anxiousness. His palms were sweaty and he felt bad that she had to keep holding his hand, but if he let go, she might feel hurt so he decided to disregard his sweaty palms and tried his best to get his mind off the big moment for the meantime._

_But the guild members of Fairy Tail wouldn't stop teasing him. He'd spot them almost everywhere they went, and it only reminded him of the heavy thing in his pocket. He saw Natsu, Gray and Erza sitting outside a coffee shop with their faces buried inside newspapers. He didn't know if Lucy saw them too, but she should've, since Erza's red hair and Natsu's pink hair stuck out like a sore thumb—or sore thumbs, rather. _

_Yet she seemed oblivious to the catcalls they were receiving. Gajeel and Levy even spoke to them, asking about where they were going. He knew they were pretending to be innocent, but the glint in the metal dragon slayer's eyes made his insides churn with anxiety. And before they left, they told them, "I hope all goes well later!"_

_He wanted to murder them, then and there._

"I feel the same way," Layla muttered angrily under her breath. "I swear to god, if I find out that they actually ruined the surprise, I will relive that threat and make it a reality."

Jude chuckled softly. "Relax, dear sister. All will go well. At least I hope so."

"You should listen to Jude more often, Layla," Jellal said, his lips tugging upwards in amusement. The said girl merely huffed and crossed her arms over her chest, refusing to say anything else. He chuckled and continued the story.

_After two hours of completely walking around town and enjoying the stalls on the streets, he finally directed her to Fairy Hills. She didn't question him about it, so he thought she just didn't know that they were going there. He visualized the greenhouse, with a table for two amidst the colorful plants and the lights they set up the day before. He was hoping with crossed fingers that the dinner was actually prepared well, or else he would go crazy. He didn't want to mess this up after all._

_When the view of the hills was apparent and the top of the dormitory was seen, that was when she finally looked at him. Instead of shock, her face screamed of confusion. Lips in a frown, a crease on her forehead, her eyebrows narrowed—he was already trying his hardest not to combust at this moment. _

_He pushed away his unease and smiled. "Is something wrong?"_

_Her frown deepened. "Why are we going to Fairy Hills?"_

"_Is there something wrong with going to Fairy Hills?" he asked nonchalantly, raising a brow. _

"_No, but…" she paused, beginning to nibble on her lower lip. "Men aren't allowed in there… right? Or did you not know?"_

_He chuckled. "I know."_

"_Then why…?"_

"_Lucy," he called, his voice firm. She looked at him directly in the eye and he smiled. "Do you trust me?"_

"_Yeah."_

"_Then let's go," he said, his voice laced with mirth. "I know what I'm doing."_

_She sighed and squeezed his hand. "Okay."_

_Together, they began to walk up the hill. No words were said while they headed to Fairy Hills, but there was no discomfort or unease between them. The night was cold and it was a full moon out. There were no clouds blocking the magnificent sky, and he was glad for that. He knew that if the stars were covered, he would've moved the proposal to another day. It seemed that the heavens were with him this time._

_When they reached the top of the hill, they did not walk to the entrance of the dormitory. They headed to the back of the building instead where there was a pathway leading to the greenhouse. At this point, the greenhouse could not be seen. But a few more steps and she would be able to see it so he guided her there, slowly and surely._

"_Where are we going?" she whispered, knowing that it was better to lower her voice than to raise it. She didn't want to ruin the moment._

"_You'll see," he told her, grinning at her annoyance. "Be patient, love."_

_She pouted. "Fine, fine."_

_He laughed and changed the position of their hands. He held her hand with the other and used the now-free-hand to cover her eyes. He felt her freeze up. "O-Oi, Jellal! What are you doing?"_

"_It wouldn't be a surprise anymore if you saw what it was already," he informed her, rolling his eyes. "Don't worry, I won't let you trip or fall. I'll be here right next to you."_

"_I know that," she muttered. "I just… don't like the feeling of not knowing where I'm going."_

_He sighed. "I'm not taking you to a place I know you'd hate, Lucy."_

"_I know that too." She sucked in a deep breath. "And I also know that I will love this surprise so let's go."_

_He felt her gripping his hand tighter and he smiled. "That's my girl," he whispered in her ear, making her shudder._

_He started guiding her to the greenhouse. It was a tough task. She was scared because she didn't know where they were going and he was nervous for the big moment to finally arrive. He knew he wouldn't be able to sit still while they ate dinner so he didn't know how he was going to survive the night. It made him sweat buckets. _

_When he stopped just in front of their destination, his heart began to race. His unease, however, went away at the sight of the clothed table in the middle of the place and the floating lights illuminating the inside. He even felt a weird sense of relief to see the other members of Fairy Tail hidden behind the plants, eagerly waiting for midnight to come. He admitted that even he himself couldn't wait any longer. But alas, he had to have patience or else the plan would go all wrong._

_He released a shaky breath. "We're here."_

_When he uncovered her eyes, he wasn't expecting for her to feel anything major. He knew she would be happy, but other than that, he didn't know how she would react. He didn't know that she was going to cry. _

"_H-Hey, why are you crying?" he asked her, wiping away the tears caressing her cheek._

_Her lips were trembling when she smiled. "I-I'm just so happy," she told him, choking through a laugh. "I was not expecting something as grand as this."_

_He cocked his head to the side. "You call this grand?"_

_She nodded hastily. "I think this is the most romantic thing anyone has ever done to me," she confessed, grinning shyly. "But I've only ever had two boyfriends and Natsu was my first so I don't really know."_

_He bit his lip. "You promise I'll be your last?"_

"_You seem to be asking me to promise you a lot of things."_

"_Lucy…"_

_She giggled and flicked his forehead. "Silly Jellal, of course you'll be my last."_

_He breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank god." He regained his composure and hooked their arms together. "I bet you're starving. Come, let's have dinner."_

_She licked her lips. "You read my mind."_

"FATHER! FATHER!" the twins exclaimed, both looking very excited. "Can you please skip the dinner scene and just proceed to the actual thing?!"

Jellal rolled his eyes. "Aren't you very impatient?"

"Please, father?" Kaiya asked, pouting. "I want to skip to the proposal."

"Besides, is there actually anything important you have to share us at the dinner scene?" Layla asked, a fine brow raised in question. "Well?"

The father could only sigh. "No, but…"

"We know you two are mushy and stuff so please?"

He pushed his bottom lip out dramatically. "Fine."

_When they were finished eating, Lucy helped Jellal with setting the tables aside and they placed a cloth on the floor where they now lay. They stared at the glass ceiling, their fingers linked between their bodies and their heads leaned against each other. _

_She inhaled deeply and exhaled, smiling. "Ne, Jellal."_

"_Hm?"_

"_Do you think… we'll grow up and marry each other?" she asked out of the blue._

_He froze, his heart suddenly accelerating. All the warning bells rang in his head and he swallowed hard. "Of course we'll get married someday," he whispered, closing his eyes and imagining the future. "We'll have children… and we'll have our own house."_

_She sounded happy. "And we won't ever stop being mages?"_

"_Of course."_

"_You'll join Fairy Tail?"_

_He chuckled. "If that's what you want."_

"_You won't ever leave me?"_

"_I would never dream of it."_

_She held her breath. "Will you… continue to love me?"_

_He turned his head towards her and opened his eyes. "Until the end of time."_

_She was so close to tears that she didn't even want to say anything in fear of actually releasing them. He smiled. "Hey… do you know what time it is?"_

_She blinked her teary eyes. "I-I think it's only a few minutes before midnight."_

"_How few?"_

"_Three?"_

"_Then look back up at the ceiling for me," he whispered. She nodded and did as she was told. He watched the way her eyelashes touched her cheek whenever she blinked. And he liked the fact that she was still close to tears. It made him want to hug her forever. _

_After a minute or so, she spoke again. "Jellal." She sounded curious. "What am I supposed to be looking at?"_

_He couldn't stop himself from laughing. "Just wait."_

"_Okay."_

"I-I'm crying…"

"Hush!"

"_Lucy." He liked saying her name. It reminded him of his purpose in life. "Can you count down from ten with me?"_

_She nodded and together they started to countdown. Ten. Nine. Eight. Seven._

"This is it!"

"Shut up!"

_Six. Five. Four._

_He could already hear the glass creaking._

_Three. Two._

_He could feel his heart beating faster._

"_One."_

_The glass ceiling folded quickly sideward and she suddenly forgot how to breathe. All she could see was the midnight sky dotted beautifully with stars and all he could see was the tears in her eyes finally falling. He felt a smile working its way to his face._

"_Happy Valentine's Day, Lucy. Do you like it?"_

_She sniffed. "Oh Jellal, I love it."_

"_I'm glad."_

_She wiped her wet cheeks with her forearm and faced him, her lips quivering. "This is amazing," she breathed out. "Thank you."_

_He finally found the confidence to grin. "I'm not done yet."_

_She blinked. "W-What?"_

_He pushed himself off the ground and stood before offering his hand to her. She accepted it and he pulled her to her feet. On cue, the instruments started playing. Starting with a piano, then a violin, then a harp—it was beautiful._

_She looked around. "W-Where is the music—?"_

_Jellal placed a finger on her lips. "Let's just pretend that no one else is here, okay?"_

"_O-Okay…"_

_He sucked in a deep breath and was about to speak when a voice suddenly shouted, "Get on with it already!"_

"_Shut up, idiot!"_

"_I-I'm s-s-sorry!"_

_Once again, Lucy eyes darted around in search for the people. He sighed and grabbed both of her hands, pulling her closer until their faces were merely inches apart._

"_Lucy… a long time ago I would have never imagined a life with you," he mumbled, the past few years suddenly flashing through his mind like pages flipping by. "You were the best friend of my girlfriend but I barely knew you, and so all I thought about was spending my life with her."_

_She pressed her lips together, holding his gaze. "When I got to know you better, I knew there was a shift in my world. You were something extraordinary and I began to fall deep. I crashed and fell because you were a black hole that seemed to keep sucking me in. I couldn't find a way out. But I'm thankful for that." He licked his lips nervously. "Now I can't imagine a life without you—No, I don't even want to imagine that. It sounds like a tragedy I would never want to go through."_

"_Don't worry," she cut in, giggling. "I won't ever leave you."_

_He smiled. "I know. But I want to make it official too."_

_Her eyes widened and before she could say anything else, he got down on one knee and brought out a flat case from his pocket. She looked at it with excitement and anxiety. It didn't look like it could hold a ring. _

_He grinned and opened it. The ring, which was a gorgeous silver band engraved with the signs of the Zodiac, twisted as soon as the case flapped open. Suddenly it was facing her, the star-shaped diamond glinting under the moonlight. Words left her and all she could think about was that it was finally happening. _

_He smiled softly. "Marry me?"_

_She broke down, her tears falling endlessly. She sobbed and covered her face with her hands, trying to wipe the salty liquid away. But she couldn't stop crying and she couldn't even mutter a syllable without hiccupping. _

"_Hey… Lucy."_

_She didn't say anything. She just kept crying._

"_Say something already!" Natsu roared._

"_That's it!" There was a loud bang._

"_Poor Natsu…"_

"_Shh!"_

_She sniffed and nodded violently, ignoring the interruption. "Y-Yes, I'll marry you," she stammered, smiling through her tears. She fell to her knees and he caught her in his arms. He squeezed her tightly._

"_Thank god," he whispered, closing his eyes. "I can finally breathe easier."_

"_Did you r-really think I would s-say n-n-no?"_

_He chuckled. "It's a natural fear."_

"_W-Well, I'd never say no," she told him, pulling back and staring into his eyes. "I love you, Jellal."_

_He grinned sheepishly. "I love you too."_

_She giggled in excitement. "Now, put it on my finger."_

_He rolled his eyes and took her hand, bringing it up to his face. He placed another soft kiss on top of her knuckles and slid the silver band onto her ring finger. With their fingers linked together, they stood up and was suddenly congratulated by Fairy Tail._

"_Man that was great!"_

"_A m-man does not cry!"_

"_Congratulations on your engagement, Lucy, Jellal!"_

"_That was absolutely moving!"_

"_I think I cried…"_

"_We wish you a happy life!"_

"_May the gods always be with you."_

"_Jellal, you're the man!"_

"_No one won the bet!"_

"_Damn it! Levy won the bet about Lucy crying!"_

"_Wait, there's the bet about Natsu!"_

"_Oh yeah—hey! I won that bet!"_

_As they began to thank each and every one of them, all they could think about was the future and the family they would be having together. And at that moment, they were content. Everything was finally falling into place._

"And that is how I proposed to your mother," Jellal said, ending the story with a dramatic gesture of his arm. He looked at his children and was surprised to find some of them crying. He smiled. "What's wrong?"

Layla blew her nose with a white cloth. "T-That was amazing… Mother's so lucky to have you."

"Y-Yeah," Reina agreed, hugging Meiko. "You two were so… _in_ _love_."

"We still are," Jellal admitted, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. "I guess you never get out of it. You'll keep falling until you reach the end. Sometimes I think there will be no end."

"I hope so," Jude said, grinning through his tears. "I can't believe I cried."

"I can't believe I'm crying either," Gerald said, furiously wiping at his cheeks. "But that was moving."

"A-Aye," Kaiya said, sniffing.

"This is s-so not cool!" Meiko exclaimed, burying his face in his twin's neck. He was bawling. "So not cool!"

Jellal huffed, smiling crookedly. "Stop being so dramatic guys. It's over now."

"Easy for you to say!"

He laughed and propped his elbow on the armrest, leaning his cheek on the palm of his hand. "How about we go and pick up your mother at the train station?"

"We can?!"

"Well, I'm not sure she's arrived yet but…"

"It's okay," Layla said, wiping the remnants of her tears. "We'll go."

Jellal raised a brow. "Are you guys sure? It'll be late soon."

Jude began to stand up. "It doesn't matter. We'll do anything for mother."

"And father," Kaiya added, giggling. "Don't forget father."

"Of course," the oldest of the six said, smiling while shaking his head. He helped Layla stand up and they grinned.

The father raked his fingers through his hair and stood up, stretching his arms above his head. When he was done, he grinned. "Are you guys ready to go then?"

"Of course we are!"

He laughed and grabbed the house keys from the coffee table, heading out. He paused and looked over his shoulder, staring at his children. They were all so grown up now. Long gone were the babies who cried every time they needed a change of diapers—it made him feel very old and nostalgic.

He cleared his throat and smiled lovingly at them, his heart filled with warmth. "Then let's go."

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**A/N:** After almost two weeks, I finally finished this chapter. Last night, I wanted to write so much but I wasn't able to. I wanted to write so badly that I told my muse to snap out of it and guess what? It actually worked. After meditating for a minute or so and asking myself why I wasn't writing, I gained the motivation to write. And so from 6,000 words I reached 9,000 words and I finished it.

This chapter is a special that I intended to write for Valentine's Day but as you can see, I am one and a half weeks late. I apologize. So many things happened and I kept leaving home so I never had the time to write and when I wanted to, like I said, I couldn't. But I managed to do the impossible last night. Anyways, the special sort of starts right after Jellal finishes the hard part so it seems just like the continuation when in fact the supposed continuation is when Lucy actually comes back home and tells her part of the story. That will be The Love Story Part 4, which is the next chapter. I haven't written it yet but I will.

I hope you guys enjoyed reading this special and I hope you guys look forward to the next chapter :) If you liked it, if you found any mistakes and would like to tell me, if you have any questions about how to gain motivation or whatever you'd like to tell me, then review down below!

Oh, and by the way, I've recently been posting drabbles and whatnot on my Tumblr so if you want to check them out (They're GraLu) the link is on my profile :D

_"She did not need much, wanted very little. A kind word, sincerity, fresh air, clean water, a garden, kisses, books to read, sheltering arms, a cozy bed, and to love and be loved in return." S. N. B._

_Byee! -Anne :D_

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_\- Please support/read my other stories: **Celebrity Issues, The Devil and the Assassin, Fragile, Life's Challenges, Forgotten Memories, Queen of Stars, A Love That Lasts Forever **and **Going Against The Current.**_


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